Special Weather Statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
1210 PM PDT FRI MAR 18 2011

CAZ042-043-048-050-055>058-060>062-191200-
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-
1210 PM PDT FRI MAR 18 2011

...A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SUNDAY
NIGHT AND MONDAY...

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