Re: SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
235 AM PDT WED OCT 29 2008

...A BIG CHANGE IN THE WEATHER WITH DANGEROUS WINTER CONDITIONS OVER THE SIERRA HIGH
COUNTRY...

AFTER A LONG PERIOD OF MILD AND DRY WEATHER...AN ABRUPT CHANGE TO WINTER-LIKE
WEATHER WILL BEGIN THURSDAY NIGHT AND A SIGNIFICANT AND POTENTIALLY VERY WET STORM
SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE SIERRA THIS WEEKEND.

A SERIES OF WEATHER DISTURBANCES WILL MOVE INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. THE FIRST IMPULSE
WILL ARRIVE THURSDAY...WITH A SECOND SYSTEM FRIDAY. A THIRD...AND MORE IMPORTANTLY...
WETTER AND COLDER SYSTEM IS SLATED FOR LATER SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.
DUE TO THE LONG PERIOD OF WARM AND DRY WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER THE SIERRA HIGH
COUNTRY...HIKERS AND OTHER OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS HAVE LIKELY TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE
IDEAL WEATHER...AND EXTENDED THE OUTDOOR SEASON. THIS EXTENDED SEASON WILL COME TO
AN ABRUPT END...AND DANGEROUS WINTER-LIKE CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR THIS WEEKEND OVER
THE SIERRA HIGH COUNTRY. AT THIS TIME EXACT SNOW LEVELS AND SNOW AMOUNTS ARE
UNCERTAIN HOWEVER THE LATEST DATA SUGGESTS THAT 2-3 FEET OF SNOW MAY FALL ABOVE 9000
FEET WITH UP TO SEVERAL INCHES POSSIBLE AS LOW AS 8000 FEET. WHAT IS CERTAIN...IS THE ONSET
OF COLDER...WINDY AND SNOWY WEATHER...ESPECIALLY AT AND ABOVE 8000 FEET.
PEOPLE PLANNING LATE SEASON ACTIVITIES IN THE SIERRA HIGH COUNTRY THIS UPCOMING
WEEKEND SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR WINTER CONDITIONS AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY...OR CANCEL
PLANS. THOSE WHO HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONTACT PERSONS WHO MAY ALREADY BE IN THE SIERRA
HIGH COUNTRY SHOULD DO SO AT ONCE. FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WATCHES OR
WARNING WILL BE ISSUED REGARDING THIS BIG CHANGE IN THE WEATHER AND POTENTIAL HIGH
ELEVATION WINTER STORM.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
200 AM PST FRI NOV 7 2008
...ANOTHER STORM TO REACH CENTRAL CALIFORNIA THIS WEEKEND...
THE NEXT WINTER-LIKE STORM WILL MOVE INTO CALIFORNIA SATURDAY AND BRING RAIN...SNOW
AND GUSTY WINDS TO THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. RAIN AND
HIGHER ELEVATION SNOW WILL BEGIN NEAR YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK SATURDAY AFTERNOON...
THEN SPREAD SOUTH OVER THE SIERRA NEVADA SATURDAY NIGHT AND INTO THE KERN
COUNTY MOUNTAINS BY SUNDAY MORNING. SNOW LEVELS WILL START AROUND 9000 FEET
SATURDAY AFTERNOON...BUT WILL DROP TO AROUND 6500 FEET BY MIDDAY SUNDAY.
IN ADDITION TO THE RAIN AND SNOW...THE STORM ALSO WILL BRING GUSTY WINDS TO THE
MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. GUSTS COULD REACH IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH AT TIMES OVER THE HIGH
COUNTRY AND THROUGH AND BELOW FAVORED PASSES AND CANYONS. PEOPLE PLANNING TRAVEL
THROUGH THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS TO THE SOUTHLAND SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR
STRONG GUSTS THAT WILL MAKE DRIVING OVER THE GRAPEVINE OR THROUGH THE TEHACHAPI
PASS DIFFICULT AT TIMES. THE WINDS ALSO WILL CREATE AREAS OF REDUCED VISIBILITY IN THE
KERN DESERTS DUE TO BLOWING DUST OR SAND.
THE STORM WILL BEGIN TO MOVE EAST OF THE REGION SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH IMPROVED
CONDITIONS EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE...FOR UPDATES ON THIS
APPROACHING STORM.

I am expecting WINTER CLOSURE to show up soon for Tioga Road on the Caltrans site.

Louis wrote:

> I am expecting WINTER CLOSURE to show up soon for Tioga Road on
> the Caltrans site.

Anytime now.