Special Weather Statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
837 AM PST THU FEB 24 2011

CAZ042-043-048-050-055>058-060>062-251400-
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-
837 AM PST THU FEB 24 2011

...COLD STORM SYSTEM FOR LATE FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT...

A COLD LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...CURRENTLY NEAR VANCOUVER AND
SEATTLE...IS MOVING SOUTHWARD ALONG THE WEST COAST AND IS EXPECTED
TO BRING PERIODS OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH
SATURDAY...ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS...AND VERY COOL TEMPERATURES WITH
VERY LOW SNOW LEVELS.

SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE FRIDAY...BECOMING HEAVY AT TIMES
LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES
THROUGH SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS WILL
CONTINUE FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...DECREASING LATE
SATURDAY NIGHT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY INTO
SATURDAY EVENING.

SNOW LEVELS NEAR 3500 TO 4000 FEET FRIDAY...WILL LOWER TO 2000 TO
2500 FEET SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...LOCALLY LOWER IN HEAVIER
SHOWERS. A WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND
UPPER DESERTS. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MAY BE NEEDED FOR LOWER
ELEVATIONS WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS FOR LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO
SATURDAY.

ADVISORY STRENGTH WINDS ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY ON THE DESERT SLOPES
OF THE MOUNTAINS FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...AND IN
COASTAL AREAS AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEY AREAS LATE SATURDAY
AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY EVENING.

IT WILL BE QUITE COOL SATURDAY WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES 20 TO 25
DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE...ONLY 40S AND LOWER 50S IN LOWER ELEVATION
LOCATIONS.

WATER EQUIVALENT RAINFALL TOTALS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM AROUND
0.75 TO 1.25 INCH NEAR THE COAST TO 2.5 TO 3.5 INCHES IN THE
MOUNTAINS WITH O.5 TO 0.75 INCH IN THE UPPER DESERTS AND MOSTLY LESS
THAN ONE QUARTER INCH IN THE LOWER DESERTS.

IN THE MOUNTAINS...SNOWFALL OF 6 TO 12 INCHES IS POSSIBLE ABOVE 3500
FEET WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 FEET AT THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS...
MAINLY ABOVE 5500 FEET. SNOWFALL OF 3 TO 5 INCHES IS POSSIBLE IN
PORTIONS OF THE UPPER DESERTS WITH LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE IN
INLAND VALLEY AREAS.

WITH SUCH LOW SNOW LEVELS POSSIBLE...THIS WEATHER COULD BE DEADLY FOR
UNPREPARED CAMPERS OR HIKERS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/SANDIEGO...OR
LOCAL MEDIA FOR UPDATES.

$$

MARTIN