URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
FRI FEB 26 2010

A STRONG STORM WILL BRING HEAVY SNOW...RAIN AND HIGH WINDS TO THE
MOUNTAINS OF INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TODAY AND TONIGHT. SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 FEET ARE EXPECTED OVER THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS.

SNOW LEVELS WILL BEGIN NEAR 5000 TO 6000 FEET BUT WILL
LOWER TO 3500 TO 4500 FEET LATE FRIDAY NIGHT OR EARLY SATURDAY.
SOUTH WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 TO 70 MPH ARE EXPECTED OVER HIGHER
MOUNTAIN PASSES CREATING AREAS OF NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY IN BLOWING
SNOW.

SNOW WILL TAPER OFF TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS BY EARLY SATURDAY. HOWEVER HAZARDOUS TRAVELING CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY ALONG THE WEST SLOPE OF THE SIERRA THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS
AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PST SATURDAY...

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS REMAINS IN
EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PST SATURDAY FOR EASTERN

RAIN AND SNOW WILL DEVELOP IN THE BURNEY BASIN AND
LASSEN PARK EARLY TODAY AND WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES BY

AFTERNOON. SNOW LEVELS FROM 5000 TO 5500 FEET WILL DROP TO 4000
FEET THIS EVENING...AND POSSIBLY TO THE FLOOR OF THE BURNEY
BASIN OVERNIGHT.

MAIN IMPACT: PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS WITH NEAR
ZERO VISIBILITY IN THE MOUNTAINS. SOUTH WINDS MAY GUST UP TO

50 TO 60 MPH OVER HIGHER MOUNTAIN PASSES.

SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE 7000 FEET WITH 3 TO 6
INCHES AROUND 4500 FEET BY SATURDAY MORNING. SEVERAL INCHES OF
SNOW MAY FALL DOWN TO 4000 FEET AND TO THE FLOOR OF THE BURNEY
BASIN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS MEANS
SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. SIGNIFICANT
AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL AND RECREATION
ACTIVITIES DANGEROUS. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA
FLASHLIGHT... FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN
EMERGENCY.