Special Weather Statement
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
1210 PM PDT FRI MAR 18 2011
…A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY…
ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS- SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE- SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS-SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS- RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS- SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-APPLE AND LUCERNE VALLEYS- COACHELLA VALLEY-SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS-
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST WILL MOVE THROUGH SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THERE COULD BE LIGHT SHOWERS AHEAD OF THE MAIN SYSTEM…MAINLY IN THE NORTHERN AREAS SATURDAY. THE UPPER LOW AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL CAUSE MORE SIGNIFICANT RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW…ALONG WITH LOCAL STRONG GUSTY WINDS…LATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS COULD LINGER INTO TUESDAY. PRELIMINARY PRECIPITATION ESTIMATES ARE AROUND ONE TO ONE AND A HALF INCHES WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS WITH ONE TO TWO INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS. THERE COULD BE LOCAL LARGER AMOUNTS ON THE SOUTHWEST FACING SLOPES OF THE SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS. THERE SHOULD BE ABOUT A QUARTER TO HALF AN INCH OF RAIN IN THE HIGH DESERTS AND LESS THAN A QUARTER INCH IN THE LOW DESERTS. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL BE ABOUT 5000 TO 5500 FEET SUNDAY NIGHT LOWERING TO 4500 TO 5000 FEET MONDAY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD GET NEAR A FOOT ABOVE 5500 FEET WITH LOCAL LARGER AMOUNTS AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS. THERE SHOULD BE A FEW INCHES OF SNOW BETWEEN 5000 FEET AND 5500 FEET WITH A DUSTING POSSIBLE DOWN TO 4500 FEET. STRONG GUSTY ONSHORE WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THE FRONT STARTING LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING INTO MONDAY. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH LOCAL GUSTS NEAR 55 MPH. LOWER ELEVATIONS WILL MOSTLY HAVE WIND GUSTS 20 TO 35 MPH. THE RAIN WILL CAUSE SLICK ROADS AND MAY CAUSE LOCAL ROCK OR MUD SLIDES. THERE COULD BE FLOODING OF POORLY DRAINED LOW LYING AREAS. SNOW…BLOWING SNOW AND DENSE FOG WILL MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS IN THE MOUNTAINS. PEOPLE SHOULD STAY INFORMED ON THIS APPROACHING STORM.
$$ ATKIN