094
FXUS01 KWBC 290758
PMDSPD
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
258 AM EST THU FEB 29 2024
VALID 12Z THU FEB 29 2024 - 12Z SAT MAR 02 2024
...HEAVY SNOW OVER PARTS OF THE CASCADES, THE NORTHERN
INTERMOUNTAIN
REGION, NORTHERN ROCKIES, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND SIERRA NEVADA
MOUNTAINS...
...HEAVY LAKE-EFFECT SNOW SOUTHEAST OF LAKE ONTARIO AND OVER THE
UPPER GREAT LAKES...
...RAIN FROM THE GULF COAST TO PARTS OF NORTHERN MID-ATLANTIC AND
SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE CENTRAL GULF COAST AND
SOUTHEAST...
A SECOND WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT THE WEST COAST ON THURSDAY AND
FRIDAY. THE STORM WILL CREATE HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOW THAT WILL AFFECT
MANY PASSES. MULTIPLE FEET OF SNOW ARE LIKELY (OVER 80% CHANCE)
FOR HIGHER ELEVATIONS, ESPECIALLY ABOVE 5000 FEET, INCLUDING MANY
CASCADE AND SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAIN PASSES. EXTREMELY HEAVY SNOW
RATES SURPASSING 3 INCHES PER HOUR ARE LIKELY.
FURTHERMORE, THE STORM WILL PRODUCE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN THE
SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS. IN DETAIL, STRONG WINDS WILL CAUSE
SIGNIFICANT BLOWING/DRIFTING SNOW AND WHITEOUT CONDITIONS, MAKING
TRAVEL IMPOSSIBLE IN THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS. THERE IS A HIGH
CHANCE (OVER 70%) OF SUBSTANTIAL, LONG-LASTING DISRUPTIONS TO
DAILY LIFE IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS
FRIDAY-SATURDAY, WHERE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AND 5+ FEET OF SNOW ARE
EXPECTED.
MOREOVER, IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW, COASTAL RAIN WILL DEVELOP OVER
PARTS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST THURSDAY INTO SATURDAY. COASTAL
RAIN WILL DEVELOP OVER PARTS OF CALIFORNIA THURSDAY MORNING,
CONTINUING INTO SATURDAY.
IN ADDITION, THE WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WIND WILL DEVELOP OVER THE
WESTERN U.S. WIND GUSTS OF 55+ MPH ARE FORECASTED ACROSS MUCH OF
THE WEST, PARTICULARLY ACROSS HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND THE
INTERMOUNTAIN WEST, WHERE 75+ MPH GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE. THESE WINDS
WOULD LIKELY DOWN TREES AND POWER LINES, RESULTING IN POWER
OUTAGES ACROSS AFFECTED AREAS.
FURTHER, COLD AIR WILL LOWER SNOW LEVELS FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. AS
THE STORM MOVES SOUTH, SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER INTO SOME NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA AND SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAIN FOOTHILL COMMUNITIES. MUCH
COLDER AIR IS FORECAST FOR SATURDAY, WITH TEMPERATURES 10-20
DEGREES BELOW NORMAL.
MEANWHILE, UPPER-LEVEL ENERGY MOVING ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES INTO
THE NORTHEAST WILL CREATE LAKE-EFFECT SNOW OVER THE NORTHEAST
PORTION OF THE U.P. OF MICHIGAN, WITH THE HEAVIEST LAKE-EFFECT
SNOW SOUTHEAST OF LAKE ONTARIO ON THURSDAY.
ADDITIONALLY, UPPER-LEVEL ENERGY MOVING OVER THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES
WILL MOVE EASTWARD TO THE MID-ATLANTIC BY SATURDAY, PRODUCING RAIN
AND HIGHER-ELEVATION SNOW OVER THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES THURSDAY.
OVERNIGHT THURSDAY, SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER
PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS, MOVING INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI,
TENNESSEE, AND SOUTHERN OHIO VALLEYS AND PARTS OF THE SOUTHEAST BY
FRIDAY. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER PARTS OF
THE SOUTHEAST THROUGH SATURDAY. ON FRIDAY, RAIN WILL MOVE INTO
PARTS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC AND OHIO VALLEY, MOVING INTO PARTS OF
THE NORTHEAST BY SATURDAY. ALSO, ON FRIDAY, SCATTERED POCKETS OF
RAIN/FREEZING RAIN WILL DEVELOP OVER THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS OF
PARTS OF THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS.
ZIEGENFELDER
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