URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA

613 AM PST THU JAN 3 2008

...A SERIES OF POWERFUL STORMS EXPECTED TO HIT THE INTERIOR OF

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA LATE TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY..

.THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF STRONG STORMS IS FORECAST TO IMPACT

INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA LATE TODAY INTO FRIDAY MORNING

BRINGING RAIN...WIND AND MOUNTAIN SNOW. A SECOND EVEN MORE POWERFUL

STORM IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA WITH HEAVY SNOW AND

DANGEROUSLY HIGH WINDS ON FRIDAY. THE POWERFUL WINDS AND HEAVY

SNOW ARE LIKELY TO CREATE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AT

TIMES...ESPECIALLY DURING THE DAY FRIDAY. ALTHOUGH STRONG WINDS

AND SNOW MAY DECREASE IN INTENSITY LATE SATURDAY MORNING...THE

WIND AND SNOW WILL NOT ENTIRELY CEASE. A THIRD AND COLDER STORM IS

EXPECTED TO BRING MORE SNOW TO THE AREA SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND

SUNDAY.

CAZ068-069-040030-

/O.CON.KSTO.BZ.W.0001.080104T1200Z-080105T1200Z/

WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK-

WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA-

613 AM PST THU JAN 3 2008

...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM FRIDAY TO 4 AM

PST SATURDAY..

A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM FRIDAY TO 4 AM PST

SATURDAY FOR THE WEST SLOPES OF THE SIERRA NEVADA AND WESTERN

PLUMAS COUNTY INCLUDING LASSEN PARK.

SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN FALLING BY THIS EVENING OVER THE SIERRA

CASCADE RANGE. SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 5000 TO 6000

FEET TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY AND THEN DROP TO AROUND 3000 TO 4000 FEET

BY SATURDAY MORNING. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FROM 3 TO 5 FEET ARE

EXPECTED ABOVE 5000 FEET BY SATURDAY MORNING. SNOWFALL IS LIKELY

TO ACCUMULATE AT A RATE OF SEVERAL INCHES PER HOUR AT TIMES

THROUGH THE WARNING PERIOD...THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED

FRIDAY. IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY SNOWFALL...STRONG WINDS ARE

EXPECTED. WIND SPEED GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 65 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH

THE SYSTEM TONIGHT WITH WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 80 MPH POSSIBLE ON

FRIDAY. THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY SNOW AND POWERFUL WIND WILL

LIKELY CAUSE FREQUENT WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. TRAVEL OVER THE HIGHER

PASSES WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT.. IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE AT TIMES

BETWEEN THIS EVENING AND SATURDAY MORNING.

THE WIND AND SNOW MAY DECREASE BY MID DAY SATURDAY...BUT WILL NOT

ENTIRELY END. A THIRD...COLDER STORM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER THE

AREA LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY WITH A FOOT OR MORE OF ADDITIONAL

SNOW POSSIBLE. SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO DROP TO AROUND 2500 TO

3000 FEET SUNDAY MORNING.

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE

EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS

AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT

CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IF YOU MUST

TRAVEL...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU.