718
FOUS11 KWBC 251945
QPFHSD
PROBABILISTIC HEAVY SNOW AND ICING DISCUSSION
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
345 PM EDT SAT APR 25 2026
VALID 00Z SUN APR 26 2026 - 00Z WED APR 29 2026
..WESTERN U.S OVERVIEW
MID-LEVEL LOW CROSSING THE CENTRAL CA COAST THIS AFTERNOON WILL
TRACK OVER CENTRAL NV TONIGHT AND REACH THE CENTRAL ROCKIES LATE
SUNDAY. HEALTHY PVA OVER THE ROCKIES AND THE LEFT- EXIT REGION OF
A 250MB JET STREAK POSITIONED OVERHEAD WILL FOSTER EXCELLENT UPPER-
LEVEL DIVERGENCE WHILE A HEALTHY SLUG OF 700-300MB MOISTURE
SURGES INLAND FROM THE SUBTROPICAL PACIFIC. TEMPERATURES ALOFT ARE
MILD, SO SNOWFALL WILL BE CONFINED TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE
SIERRA NEVADA ON EAST ACROSS NV/UT/CO AND INTO WY. A REINFORCING
TROUGH TRACKS OVER NORTHERN CA SUNDAY NIGHT, TRACKING OVER THE CO
ROCKIES MONDAY NIGHT, BRINGING ADDITIONAL LIGHT PRECIP TO THE
INTERMOUNTAIN WEST.
..CENTRAL/SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA
DAY 1...
SNOWFALL CONTINUES IN EARNEST OVER THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN SIERRA
NEVADA THROUGH THIS EVENING BEFORE INTERMITTENT LIGHT SNOW OCCURS
THEN THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF REINFORCING WAVE. SNOW LEVELS
AROUND 7500FT DROP TO AROUND 6500FT THIS EVENING WITH MEAN 12Z
HREF SNOW RATES PEAKING AROUND 1.5"/HR IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRA
NEVADA AROUND 00Z. DAY 1 SNOW PROBS FOR >6" ARE 40-80% ABOVE ABOUT
7000FT ON THE SIERRA NEVADA SOUTH OF SONORA PASS AND ON THE WHITE
MTNS.
..GREAT BASIN, CENTRAL/SOUTHERN ROCKIES, & THE BLACK HILLS
DAYS 1-3...
PRECIPITATION QUICKLY EXPANDS EAST FROM CENTRAL NV INTO THE CO
ROCKIES TONIGHT IN BROAD SWLY FLOW AHEAD OF THE POSITIVELY TILTED
TROUGH AXIS EXTENDING BACK TO CA. MODERATE SNOW RATES AT HIGHER
ELEVATION THEN LINGER THROUGH SUNDAY. SNOW LEVELS OVER NV/UT DIP
FROM AROUND 8000FT TO ABOUT 7500FT WHILE 9000FT SNOW LEVELS IN CO
DROP TO 8000FT SUNDAY EVENING. THE AFOREMENTIONED REINFORCING
TROUGH AXIS APPROACH ALLOWS ADDITIONAL LIGHT PRECIP OVER NV/UT/CO
AND SOUTHERN WY SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY NIGHT. DAY 1.5 SNOW PROBS
FOR >6" ARE 40-80% FOR THE HIGHEST CENTRAL NV RANGES, ALL UT
RANGES, WESTERN/CENTRAL CO RANGES AND UP THROUGH THE WIND RIVER IN
WY. DAY 2.5 SNOW PROBS FOR >4" ARE 40-80% FOR EAST-CENTRAL NV
RANGES THROUGH NORTH-CENTRAL UT AND NORTH-CENTRAL CO INTO SOUTHERN
WY.
ONLY THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN PASSES WILL GET IMPACTFUL SNOW, SO THIS
WILL MAINLY BE A BENEFICIAL EVENT FOR THIS DROUGHT-STRICKEN AREA.
THE PROBABILITY FOR SIGNIFICANT ICING OVER ONE-TENTH OF AN INCH IS
LESS THAN 10 PERCENT.
JACKSON
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