Special Weather Statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
951 PM PST FRI FEB 24 2012

CAZ042-043-048-050-055>058-060>062-261000-
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-
951 PM PST FRI FEB 24 2012

...A VERY COLD STORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SUNDAY NIGHT
THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...

A STRONG AND VERY COLD TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL DIG ACROSS CALIFORNIA
SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. THE STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING MUCH
COLDER AIR AS WELL AS LIGHT TO LOCALLY MODERATE PRECIPITATION...AND
POTENTIALLY VERY LOW SNOW LEVELS. IT WILL ALSO BRING VERY STRONG
AND GUSTY SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS.

MOISTURE WILL BE LIMITED WITH THIS SYSTEM...SO MOST OF THE
PRECIPITATION WILL FALL OVER AND WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS. AMOUNTS
LOOK TO BE LESS THAN ONE-HALF INCH IN MOST AREAS AT THIS TIME. THE
SNOW LEVEL WILL RAPIDLY FALL TO AS LOW AS 2500 FEET OVER PORTIONS
OF SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTIES AND 3000 FEET OVER SAN
DIEGO COUNTY MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SNOW LEVELS MAY BE LOCALLY
LOWER WITH HEAVIER SHOWERS...WHICH MEANS THAT THE HIGHER INLAND
VALLEY MAY SEE A MIX OF RAIN OR SNOW ON MONDAY AFTERNOON OR
EVENING. TWO TO FIVE INCHES OF NEW SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS.

THERE WILL ALSO BE STRONG AND POTENTIALLY DAMAGING GUSTY SOUTHWEST
TO WEST WINDS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. GUSTS UP TO 75 MPH
WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE WINDIER MOUNTAIN RIDGES AND DESERT
SLOPES FROM SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT.

WATCH FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS AS
THIS STORM DEVELOPS. THE STRONG WINDS...COLD WEATHER...AND POSSIBLE
SNOW WILL POSE A HAZARD FOR ANYONE HIKING OR CAMPING IN THE
MOUNTAINS. TRAVEL THROUGH THE PASSES COULD BECOME TREACHEROUS AS
TEMPERATURES FALL BELOW FREEZING...WINDS INCREASE...AND ROADS BECOME
SLIPPERY.

AS THIS SYSTEM EXITS THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT...OVERNIGHT
TEMPERATURES MAY FALL BELOW FREEZING IN SOME OF THE COLDER AND CLEARER
VALLEY LOCATIONS.

$$

PALMER