Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in California, April 12 to 15, 2003

INTERIOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
330 AM PDT SAT APR 12 2003

UNSEASONABLY COLD DEEP UPPER LOW OF THE WEST COAST. THE LOW IS NOT
FCST TO MOVE MUCH OVER THE NEXT 24-36 HRS...WHILE SENDING VIGOROUS
IMPULSES INTO CENTRAL CA. 1ST IMPULSE NEARING THE CENTRAL COAST
NOW...WITH ANOTHER CROSSING 130W/35N. UPPER JET IS FCST TO SAG SOUTH
INTO CENTRAL CA OVERNITE WITH STRONG UVM IN LEFT FRONT QUAD. QPF
AMOUNTS THRU MON WILL BE HIGH...RANGING FROM .75-1.25 IN THE
SJV...2-4 INCHES IN THE FOOTHILLS AND MTNS. SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER
TO NEAR 5K TONIGHT...AND 3.5-4K IN THE SIERRA...4-5K IN THE
TEHACHAPIS. SNOW AMOUNTS IN THE SIERRA COULD EASILY TOP OUT IN THE
5-7 FEET RANGE BY ALL IS SAID AND DONE LATE MONDAY...AND POSSIBLY A
FOOT OR MORE IN THE TEHACHAPIS. MOST PRECIP SHOULD END MON
EVENING...AS UPPER LOW OPENS UP AND MOVES EAST OF THE REGION. ON
TUES...FLAT SHORTWAVE RIDGE WILL MOVE IN WITH DRYING IN ALL BUT THE
FAR NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FA.

FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...MODELS ARE
IN WELL AGREEMENT PLACING THE UPPER LOW NEAR 40N/130W BY WEDNESDAY
MORNING. THIS UPPER LOW WILL BE THE SECOND PIECE OF ENERGY FROM THE
LONGER WAVE TROUGH PATTERN OVER THE WEST COAST NEXT WEEK. AFTER A
BIT OF DRYING ON TUESDAY //FOR THE VALLEY//...WILL SEE A RETURN TO A
WET PATTERN ON WEDNESDAY. WILL CONTINUE WITH THE BROAD BRUSH OF
SHOWERS WEDNESDAY THROUGH LATE THURSDAY. ECMWF AND UKMET/CANADIAN
REMAIN THE SLOWER SOLUTIONS WHILE GFS AND NOGAPS DROP THE UPPER LOW
INTO SOCAL BY FRIDAY MORNING. THEREFORE...WILL TAPER OFF THE PRECIP
ON FRIDAY AS COORDINATED WITH THE OTHER OFFICES. WILL DRY OUT THE
DISTRICT ON SATURDAY AS A RIDGE PUSHES INTO THE REGION. WILL SLOWLY
WARM UP TEMP/S THROUGH THE WEEK WITH THE BEST WARMING ON SATURDAY.
YET...WILL STILL KEEP MAX TEMP/S ABOUT 5 DEG-F BELOW NORMAL AS FLOW
REMAINS NORTHERLY TO NORTHWESTERLY.

.HNX...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM YOSEMITE PARK TO KINGS CANYON
       TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...
    ...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS FOR
       SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...
    ...WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS FOR SUNDAY
       NIGHT AND MONDAY...

BINGHAM/MOLINA

CAZ089>099-131230-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
541 AM PDT SAT APR 12 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
INTERIOR.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA
NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON TONIGHT...WITH SNOW BECOMING
LIKELY IN THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS. A WINTER STORM WARNING HAS
BEEN ISSUED FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS
CANYON STARTING TONIGHT...WITH A WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS. REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...(SFOWSWHNX WWUS46 KHNX).

ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR...NO
HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED TODAY OR TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

SNOW...ALONG WITH GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS...WILL CONTINUE ACROSS HIGHER
ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS
CANYON ON SUNDAY...AND A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR
SUNDAY. SNOW IS ALSO LIKELY IN THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS SUNDAY...
WHERE A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT. REFER TO THE LATEST
WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...(SFOWSWHNX WWUS46
KHNX).

A CHANCE OF RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW WILL PERSIST ACROSS MUCH OF THE
CENTRAL INTERIOR THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS
WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...AND ACROSS
ADJACENT SIERRA FOOTHILLS...SUNDAY AND MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

JSN