SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California is facing yet another powerful winter storm with wide ranging impacts expected on Monday.
A myriad of watches, advisories, and warnings have been issued ahead of the system.
A Wind Advisory is in effect for Monday that will last until 4 p.m. for the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys.
A Blizzard Warning is in place for the entirety of the Sierra due to gusts of 60-70 mph and whiteout conditions.
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for elevations of 1,000-2,000 feet due to heavy snow accumulations.
The cold front of a strong low pressure system located off the coast of Oregon dropped into California this morning and will continue to produce heavy rain and snow in the region.
The low pressure system, which was measured at 996 millibars at the center, will continue to produce showers in the valley and heavy, nearly constant snow in the Sierra.
Behind the main band of rain associated with the cold front, atmospheric instability will build. An unstable atmosphere means there is cold air aloft, allowing the relatively warmer air at the surface to rise. The rising motion can produce thunderstorms, which are a possibility across most of Northern California today.
There is also ample shear, or change in wind speed and direction with height, in the Northern California atmosphere this afternoon. This means that there is a small chance that a brief funnel cloud, or even a tornado, could form in the Sacramento or Northern San Joaquin Valley today.
Small hail, brief downpours, and gusty winds are more likely to be the hazards associated with the isolated thunderstorms that could form today, likely before 6 p.m.
Thunderstorm development is possible in the Sierra also. Any cells that form in the Sierra will produce very heavy snowfall rates.
Tuesday morning will see heavy rainfall and snow and the afternoon will see renewed thunderstorm chances. The valley is expected to see 1-2" of rain on Monday and Tuesday but heavy downpours could increase these totals in some areas.
The main story of the storm event continues to be the heavy snow and gusty winds producing blizzard conditions in the Sierra. Whiteout conditions due to the heavy snow and winds will make travel nearly impossible across any Sierra roads.
The Sierra is likely to add another 3-7 feet of snow by Wednesday on top of a snowpack that is already at 181% of average statewide to date.
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