Special Weather Statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
432 PM PDT FRI MAR 23 2012

CAZ042-043-048-050-055>058-060>062-241500-
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-
432 PM PDT FRI MAR 23 2012

...PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA
SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY...

A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM...CURRENTLY CENTERED ABOUT 600 MILES WEST OF
THE FAR SOUTHERN OREGON COAST...WILL BRING PRECIPITATION TO MOST OF
SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA FROM ABOUT MIDDAY SUNDAY THROUGH EARLY
MONDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL NOT BE AS COLD AS THE PREVIOUS STORM
SYSTEM...WITH SNOW LEVELS STARTING OUT AROUND 7000 FEET SUNDAY...THEN
LOWERING TO AROUND 5000 FEET SUNDAY NIGHT. LOCAL WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO
55 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS...MAINLY ON
SUNDAY. THERE IS ALSO A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER PORTIONS
OF ORANGE...WESTERN RIVERSIDE...AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS COLD AIR ALOFT MOVES
OVER THE AREA.


RAIN:
THE MAIN BAND OF PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO ORANGE
COUNTY AND FAR SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY BY LATE SUNDAY
MORNING...SPREADING SOUTH AND EAST INTO RIVERSIDE AND SAN DIEGO
COUNTIES SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. WIDESPREAD RAIN
WILL TURN TO SHOWERS SUNDAY NIGHT AND LINGER INTO MONDAY.
PRELIMINARY RAINFALL ESTIMATES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

COAST AND VALLEYS: 0.25 TO 0.75 INCHES...WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS TO ONE
INCH IN ORANGE COUNTY.

MOUNTAINS: 0.75 TO 1.25 INCHES...LOCALLY UP TO 2 INCHES ON
THE SOUTH SLOPES OF THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS.

HIGH DESERT: LESS THAN 0.20 INCHES...EXCEPT NEAR THE FOOTHILLS
OF THE SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS WHERE UP TO 0.50 INCHES IS POSSIBLE.

LOW DESERT: LESS THAN 0.10 INCHES.


SNOW:
SNOWFALL OF 3 TO 6 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE SAN BERNARDINO
AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS ABOVE 6000 FEET...WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS
UP TO 10 INCHES AT THE HIGHEST PEAKS OF THE SAN BERNARDINO
MOUNTAINS. 1 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE BETWEEN 5000 AND 6000 FEET IN
SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTIES AND AT THE HIGHEST PEAKS OF
THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS.


PRECAUTIONS:
PEOPLE TRAVELING TO THE MOUNTAINS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR HAZARDOUS
DRIVING CONDITIONS DUE TO SNOW AND AREAS OF DENSE FOG SUNDAY INTO
MONDAY. CARRY CHAINS...EXTRA CLOTHING...AND WATER. THIS WEATHER WILL
BE HAZARDOUS FOR UNPREPARED CAMPERS AND HIKERS IN THE MOUNTAINS.

$$

MAXWELL