AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 830 AM PST TUE FEB 10 2009
.DISCUSSION... CHILLY MORNING THIS MORNING DUE TO GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND A COOL AIR MASS OVER THE AREA. TEMPERATURES AROUND FREEZING IN THE VALLEY AND DOWN TO THE TEENS TO LOWER 20S IN THE MOUNTAINS. MID AND HIGH CLOUDS AHEAD OF THE NEXT UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM (AROUND 48N 131W) WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING. CLOUD BASES ARE EXPECTED TO LOWER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS THE LOW MOVES SOUTH ALONG THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST. PRECIPITATION MAY START ON THE FAR NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND SPREAD OVER THE AREA THIS EVENING. SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO START OFF AROUND 2500 TO 3500 FEET AND LOWER TO AROUND AROUND 1500 TO 2500 FEET ON WEDNESDAY MORNING BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. THE LOW WEAKENS AND MOVES INLAND AS AN OPEN WAVE WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT BRINING A THREAT OF SHOWERS OVER THE AREA. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY WITH WEAK RIDGING AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM. THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL BRING ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. YET ANOTHER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. THESE SYSTEMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE COLD WITH SNOW LEVELS CONTINUING TO BE DOWN INTO THE FOOTHILLS. THE STORMS ARE QUICK MOVING AND PRECIPITABLE WATER AMOUNTS ONLY AROUND HALF AN INCH.
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.AVIATION...NEXT COLD FRONT IS ALREADY SPREADING MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...WITH VFR CONDITIONS CURRENTLY PREVAILING. HOWEVER...CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE TODAY AS CEILINGS LOWER ACROSS THE REGION...WITH AREAS OF MVFR DEVELOPING BY THIS AFTERNOON. PRECIPITATION WILL ALSO BEGIN TO MOVE INTO THE NORTHERN INTERIOR BETWEEN 21Z AND 00Z...SPREADING SOUTH AND EAST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. EXPECT WIDESPREAD MVFR AND AREAS OF IFR IN THE VALLEY BY 00Z...WITH DEVELOPING LIFR CONDITIONS IN THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS. SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER FROM 2500-3500 FEET THIS EVENING TO BETWEEN 1500-2500 FEET OVERNIGHT. LOCALLY GUSTY SOUTH WINDS WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THE FRONT...WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KTS IN THE VALLEY AND 35 KTS OVER THE MOUNTAINS.
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.STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ...WINTER STORM WATCH FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...THE NORTHERN SIERRA...THE BURNEY BASIN...AS WELL AS THE COASTAL RANGE...THE NORTHEASTERN FOOTHILLS...AND THE MOTHERLODE FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 2500 FEET.
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