NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
939 PM PDT WED OCT 1 2008

...COOL AND WET CONDITIONS FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA AND THE KERN COUNTY
MOUNTAINS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...

A RATHER STRONG COLD FRONT...FOR SO EARLY IN THE SEASON...WILL PASS THROUGH CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA SOMETIME FRIDAY NIGHT OR SATURDAY MORNING. THIS FRONT WILL BRING A GOOD
CHANCE OF RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW TO THE SOUTHERN SIERRA FRIDAY NIGHT AND
SATURDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE NEAR THE CREST FRIDAY NIGHT...BUT LOWER TO AROUND 8000
FEET OR SO SATURDAY MORNING...THEN POSSIBLY AS LOW AS 7000 FEET LATER SATURDAY IN
LINGERING SHOWERS. HIGHEST CHANCES OF RAIN AND SNOW WILL BE FROM KINGS CANYON TO
YOSEMITE...WITH DECREASING CHANCES FARTHER SOUTH INTO KERN OUNTY. IT WILL BE WINDY AS
WELL...ESPECIALLY THROUGH WIND FAVORED PASSES AND CANYONS OF THE KERN MOUNTAINS...
AND OVER THE SIERRA CREST.

THE PRIMARY TRAVEL CONCERN WILL BE IS SLIPPERY ROADS DUE TO THE BUILDUP OF OIL ON
ROADWAYS. HOWEVER TIOGA PASS WILL LIKELY CHANGE OVER THE SNOW WITH THIS SYSTEM.
MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO SLOW DOWN AND ALLOW FOR EXTRA TRAVEL TIME TO REACH THEIR
DESTINATIONS DURING THIS FIRST STORM OF THE SEASON. TAKE INTO ACCOUNT AS WELL THAT
TIOGA PASS COULD CLOSE FOR A TIME DUE TO SNOW.

This forecast sounds more realistic than the one posted for Tahoe, which uses phrases such as "Drastic Change" and "Much Colder."

I don't think drastic is such a bad word. The high today is predicted to be 90; the high on Saturday is predicted to be 65. Sounds drastic to me.

Today (90) sounds drastic. Saturday (65) sounds great.

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo

They seem especially concerned about the wind up here. Asking people to secure patio and deck furniture and anything else that might blow away.

Now if you saw one of those big deck umbrellas flying through the air in line with your head that would definitely qualify as "Drastic." : )

Current radar is showing a big area of precip heading this way.
http://www.intellicast.com/National/Radar/OneKm.aspx?location=USNV0103

WINTER STORM WARNING
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
209 AM PDT FRI OCT 3 2008

...STRONG EARLY SEASON WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE SIERRA HIGH COUNTRY...

A STRONG EARLY SEASON PACIFIC FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL PUSH INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA LATE
TONIGHT. THIS FRONT WILL BRING THE FIRST SNOW OF THE SEASON TO THE HIGH COUNTRY OF THE
SIERRA WITH THE GREATEST THREAT OF HEAVY SNOW OCCURRING FROM KINGS CANYON TO
YOSEMITE PARK. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS UP TO FOOT OVER THE HIGH COUNTRY ARE LIKELY
BY SATURDAY EVENING...WITH WITH AROUND 6 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION AT THE 8000 FOOT
LEVEL. ACCUMULATING SNOW COULD FALL AS LOW AS 7000 FEET ON SATURDAY.
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON
FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 PM PDT SATURDAY...

...WINTER STORM WATCH NO LONGER IN EFFECT...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HANFORD HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING...WHICH IS
IN EFFECT FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING
TO 11 PM PDT SATURDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
A STRONG EARLY SEASON WINTER STORM WILL MOVE INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA TONIGHT AND IT
WILL LINGER INTO SATURDAY EVENING. RAIN AND HIGHEST ELEVATION SNOW WILL BEGIN OVER
THE SIERRA NEVADA BY LATE THIS EVENING AND IT WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES THROUGH THE
DAY ON SATURDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT AT AROUND 12000 FEET AFFECTING JUST THE
HIGHEST PEAKS, HOWEVER AS COOLER AIR ARRIVES THE SNOW LEVEL WILL DROP TO AROUND 8000
FEET BY MID DAY SATURDAY.

THIS STORM SYSTEM HAS THE POTENTIAL OF TO PRODUCE CONSIDERABLE AMOUNTS OF SNOW OVER
THE HIGH COUNTRY WHERE ACCUMULATIONS MAY REACH OR EXCEED 12 INCHES. STRONG WINDS
WILL ACCOMPANY THE SNOW OVER THE HIGH COUNTRY WHERE GUSTS EXCEEDING 60 MPH ARE
LIKELY. AT THE 8000 FOOT LEVEL TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 6 INCHES ARE LIKELY
BEFORE THE SNOW ENDS LATE SATURDAY EVENING.

PERSONS PLANNING TRIPS TO THE SIERRA SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR WINTRY CONDITIONS...CARRY
CHAINS AND A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT. HIKERS SHOULD CANCEL PLANS TO VENTURE INTO THE
SIERRA THIS WEEKEND AND THOSE WHO CAN CONTACT HIKERS AND OTHER OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS
ALREADY IN THE SIERRA SHOULD DO SO AT ONCE TO ADVISE OF THIS DANGEROUS HIGH COUNTRY
WINTER WEATHER SITUATION. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA
SOURCE FOR UPDATES ON THIS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS WINTER STORM.|

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SNOW IS EXPECTED OR OCCURRING.
STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO LIKELY. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

Well, I'd sent in a request that they turn on a little water for Yosemite Falls when I go there in late October, maybe this will do it...
8^)

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo