Special Weather Statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
328 AM PST FRI FEB 18 2011

CAZ042-043-048-050-055>058-060>062-182200-
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-
328 AM PST FRI FEB 18 2011

...A STRONG PACIFIC STORM WILL ARRIVE LATE TODAY AND CONTINUE
THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT...

A STRONG PACIFIC STORM WILL ARRIVE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THIS
AFTERNOON. IT WILL BRING RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW THAT WILL BE HEAVY
AT TIMES THROUGH TONIGHT. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY
NIGHT AND TAPER OFF EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. LOCAL STRONG GUSTY WINDS
WILL ACCOMPANY THIS WEATHER SYSTEM.

THERE WILL BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
WATERSPOUTS AND FUNNEL CLOUDS MAY ALSO DEVELOP.

ESTIMATED STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE 1 TO 2 INCHES FOR THE
COAST AND VALLEYS...2 TO 3 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS...AND 0.25 TO 1
INCH IN THE DESERTS. THERE COULD BE ISOLATED LARGER
AMOUNTS...ESPECIALLY ON THE SOUTHWEST FACING SLOPES OF THE
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS. WITH THE HIGHER RAINFALL RATES THIS
EVENING...LOCALIZED FLOODING IS PROBABLE IN THE ARES WEST OF THE
MOUNTAINS BELOW THE SNOW LEVEL.

THE SNOW LEVEL WILL START AT ABOUT 5500 FEET...LOWER TO ABOUT
4000 FEET SATURDAY MORNING...AND DOWN TO 3300 FEET BY SUNDAY
MORNING. TOP SNOWFALLS WILL EXCEED TWO FEET AT THE HIGHEST
PEAKS...AND BETWEEN HALF A FOOT TO 18 INCHES AT THE RESORT LEVELS.
THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS COULD EVENTUALLY GETS ABOUT 4 TO
8 INCHES OF SNOW AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. THE HIGH DESERTS AND
SANTA ANA MOUNTAIN COULD ALSO GET LIGHT SNOW.

PEOPLE SHOULD STAY INFORMED ON THIS APPROACHING STORM. THE RAIN WILL
CAUSE SLICK ROADS. SNOW...BLOWING SNOW AND FOG WILL MAKE TRAVEL
HAZARDOUS IN THE MOUNTAINS. THE WINDS MAY CAUSE BROKEN TREE
LIMBS...DOWNED TREES AND DOWNED POWER LINES. PEOPLE PLANNING TRAVEL
IN THE MOUNTAINS LATE TODAY AND SATURDAY SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR
WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS.

$$

ATKIN