THE WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER

COLLEGE PARK, MD


STORM SUMMARY MESSAGE



STORM SUMMARY NUMBER 02 FOR SOUTHWESTERN U.S. HEAVY RAIN/SNOW
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
700 PM PST FRI FEB 28 2014

...MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES TO AFFECT MUCH OF
DROUGHT-STRICKEN CA WHILE WINTRY PRECIPITATION FALLS OVER THE
SIERRA NEVADA RANGE...   

FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD WATCHES...WARNINGS...AND ADVISORIES ARE IN
EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. COASTAL FLOOD
WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COASTLINE.

WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN
ISSUED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CA MOUNTAINS AND UP ALONG THE SIERRA
NEVADA RANGE. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE
HIGHER TERRAIN OF NEVADA AND UTAH.

HIGH WIND WARNINGS AND WIND ADVISORIES ARE IN PLACE OVER AREAS OF
SOUTHERN CA INTO PARTS OF ARIZONA...NEVADA...AND UTAH.

FOR A DETAILED GRAPHICAL DEPICTION OF THE LATEST
WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES...PLEASE SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV

AT 600 PM PST...AN LARGE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WAS CENTERED IN THE
PACIFIC OCEAN APPROXIMATELY 300 MILES WEST OF THE CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA COAST. THE SURFACE LOW HAD A CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 977
MB...28.85 INCHES...AND WAS MOVING EASTWARD. AN OCCLUDED FRONT
WRAPPED AROUND THE SURFACE LOW AND EXTENDED EASTWARD INTO
CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA. MOISTURE STREAMING INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN
U.S. FROM THE PACIFIC OCEAN WAS RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD
RAIN...WITH SNOW IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA
RANGE. RAINFALL WAS GENERALLY LIGHT TO MODERATE...WITH OCCASIONAL
REPORTS OF HEAVY RAIN. HEAVY SNOW WAS REPORTED AT TIMES IN THE
SIERRAS.                                                          
 

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN INCHES FROM 400 AM PST TUE FEB
26 THROUGH 600 PM PST WED FEB 28...

...CALIFORNIA...
SODA SPRINGS 1.5 SSW                 12.0                    
LEE VINING 5.9 NW                    10.5                    
ASPENDELL 1 WNW                      10.0                    
CROWLEY LAKE 4 SSE                    9.0                    
JUNE LAKE                             8.0                    
KINGVALE 1.3 WSW                      8.0                    
TAHOMA 0.5 S                          6.4                    

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL RAINFALL IN INCHES FROM 400 AM PST TUE FEB
26 THROUGH 600 PM PST WED FEB 28...

...CALIFORNIA...
PINYON PEAK ALERT #66                 5.90                    
BONNY DOON 2 NE                       5.19                    
COBB 0.8 S                            4.97                    
LOS GATOS 5.4 SSW                     4.82                    
FELTON 4.5 NNE                        4.68                    
MIDDLE FORK LYTLE CK PRECIP SITE      4.66                    
SAN ANSELMO 1.2 NNW                   4.63                    
BIG SUR 9.5 NNW                       4.60                    
PIT RIVER PH #5                       4.60                    
CARMEL HIGHLANDS 7 SE                 4.45                    
SCOTTS VALLEY 1.7 SW                  4.36                    
SANTA CRUZ 6.3 NNE                    4.03                    
BOULDER CREEK 3.0 NW                  4.01                    
CAZADERO 6.9 WNW                      4.01                    
WRIGHTWOOD                            4.00                    
OXNARD AIRPORT                        3.57                    
SANTA BARBARA MUNI ARPT               3.41                    
LOS ANGELES-USC                       3.34                    

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

...CALIFORNIA...
BIG BEAR LAKE 2 ESE                  102                    
TUSTIN FOOTHILLS 6 ENE                74                    
VALLEY CENTER 11 NE                   73                    
LAKELAND VILLAGE 4 WNW                70                    
CORONA 5 WSW                          69                    


AS THE CLOSED LOW ADVANCES CLOSER TO THE COAST...THE SYSTEM SHOULD
GRADUALLY WEAKEN BUT WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE ACCESS TO WELL ABOVE
NORMAL MOISTURE. THE COMBINATION OF ONSHORE FLOW...ANOMALOUS
MOISTURE CONTENT...AND LOCAL TOPOGRAPHY WILL HELP INVIGORATE
ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION ACROSS CA WITH 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN
EXPECTED ALONG THE SOUTHERN/CENTRAL CA COAST WITH ISOLATED HIGHER
AMOUNTS THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON. IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF
THE SIERRA NEVADA RANGE...6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE WITH
LOWER AMOUNTS EXPECTED FURTHER SOUTH ACROSS THE SAN
BERNARDINOS...SAN GABRIELS...AND SAN JACINTOS. AS THE SYSTEM
PROGRESSES EASTWARD...MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION IS BEING
FORECAST OVER THE MOGOLLON RIM WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES POSSIBLE. THUS
FAR INTO THE EVENT...THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPORTS OF FLASH
FLOODING AS THE HEAVY RAINS HAVE FALLEN ON TOP OF DROUGHT-STRICKEN
GROUNDS WHICH HAS LED TO RAPID RUN-OFF. MORE EPISODES WILL BE
POSSIBLE AS HEAVY RAINS REMAIN IN THE FORECAST.   

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

RYAN




Last Updated: 924 PM EST FRI FEB 28 2014