THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER

CAMP SPRINGS, MD


STORM SUMMARY MESSAGE



STORM SUMMARY NUMBER 1 FOR WESTERN U.S. HEAVY PRECIPITATION EVENT
NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD
700 PM PST SAT DEC 18 2010
 
...MAJOR HEAVY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW EVENT NOW UNDERWAY FOR THE
WEST COAST AS A SERIES OF MOISTURE-LADEN PACIFIC STORMS MOVE
ASHORE...
 
WINTER STORM WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE OREGON CASCADES...AND
THE MOUNTAINOUS AREAS OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.  WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN
OREGON...AND PARTS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.  FLOOD ADVISORIES AND
FLOOD WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA AND EXTENDING SOUTHWARD TOWARDS LOS ANGELES.
 
FOR A DETAILED GRAPHICAL DEPICTION OF THE LATEST
WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES...PLEASE SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV

AT 700 PM PST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IMAGERY SHOWED
WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY PRECIPITATION OVER CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA...AND ALSO APPROACHING NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INTO
SOUTHWESTERN OREGON...WITH LIGHTER PRECIPITATION NOTED ELSEWHERE
ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST.  VERY HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOW IS ONGOING WITH
SNOW LEVELS AROUND 7000 FEET IN THE SIERRA NEVADA RANGE...AND 5000
TO 6000 FEET FURTHER TO THE NORTH.  BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WERE
OCCURRING ALONG THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS.  THE GREATEST SNOWFALL
THUS FAR HAS BEEN FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 8000 FEET.

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN INCHES FROM 700 PM PST FRI DEC
17 THROUGH 700 PM PST SAT DEC 18...

...CALIFORNIA...
MAMMOTH LAKES 2 W                    37.0                     
BLACKCAP BASIN                       33.0                     
ALPINE MEADOWS                       30.0                     
CHARLOTTE LAKE                       30.0                     
CHAGOOPA PLATEAU                     29.0                     
GREEN MOUNTAIN                       28.0                     
OSTRANDER LAKE                       27.0                     
AGNEW PASS                           26.0                     
TENAYA LAKE                          25.0                     
SQUAW VALLEY                         24.0                     
TRUCKEE                              12.0                     

...NEVADA...
MOUNT ROSE SKI AREA                  27.0                     
HEAVENLY VALLEY                      20.0                     
INCLINE VILLAGE 5 ENE                19.0                     
GARDNERVILLE 2 NW                    10.3                     
CARSON CITY 5 S                      10.0                     
VIRGINIA CITY 5 E                     8.0                     
RENO                                  5.0                     

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL RAINFALL IN INCHES FROM 700 PM PST FRI DEC
17 THROUGH 700 PM PST SAT DEC 18...

...CALIFORNIA...
BLUE CANYON                           3.99                     
SAN LUIS OBISPO CO ARPT               2.39                     
SANTA MARIA PUBLIC APT                2.15                     
SANTA BARBARA MUNI ARPT               2.03                     
VANDENBERG AFB/LOMPOC                 1.83                     
OXNARD AIRPORT                        1.55                     
LAKE TAHOE AIRPORT                    1.19                     
CAMARILLO AIRPORT                     1.17                     
REDDING MUNI ARPT                     1.17                     
VISALIA MUNI ARPT                     1.13                     
VAN NUYS AIRPORT                      1.12                     
SANTA MONICA MUNI ARPT                1.08                     
BEALE AFB/MARYSVILLE                  1.07                     
OROVILLE MUNI ARPT                    1.03                     

...OREGON...
SEXTON SUMMIT                         1.21                     

...SELECTED PEAK WIND GUSTS IN MILES PER HOUR EARLIER IN THE
EVENT...

...CALIFORNIA...
ALPINE MEADOWS SUMMIT                  100                     
VIRGINIA PEAK                           94                     
SQUAW VALLEY SUMMIT                     46                     
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE                        44                     

...NEVADA...
SLIDE MOUNTAIN                          47                     
RENO                                    41                     


A SERIES OF MOIST PACIFIC SYSTEMS WILL CONTINUE TO INUNDATE THE
WESTERN U.S. FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND AND THROUGH MUCH OF THE
UPCOMING WEEK.  THIS IS THE RESULT OF A MID AND UPPER LEVEL JET
STREAM THAT IS ORIENTED PERPENDICULAR TO THE COAST...AND THIS
MOISTURE IS ORIGINATING FROM THE TROPICS.  THERE MAY BE BRIEF
LULLS BETWEEN SYSTEMS...BUT THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT WILL BE QUITE
SUBSTANTIAL.  ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH TUESDAY COULD BE
ON THE ORDER OF 4 TO 8 INCHES...AND AN IMPRESSIVE 3 TO 6 FEET OF
SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS.  SOME ISOLATED MOUNTAINOUS AREAS ABOVE
10000 FEET COULD RECEIVE MORE THAN 10 FEET OF SNOW BY THE END OF
THE ENTIRE EVENT.

THE NEXT STORM SUMMARY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
PREDICTION CENTER AT 100 AM PST. PLEASE REFER TO YOUR LOCAL
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS
EVENT.

HAMRICK
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Last Updated: 949 PM EST SAT DEC 18 2010