A WINTER STORM WARNING NOW HOISTED FROM THE NWS Wednesday from 7:00PM to 12:00PM Thursday….

 

SEE:   http://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=CAZ073&warncounty=CAC051&firewxzone=CAZ273&local_place1=13%20Miles%20E%20Lee%20Vining%20CA&product1=Winter+Storm+Warning&lat=37.939&lon=-118.887#.VsNppbQrKig

 

9:00AM Tuesday:

Although the Wed/Thur storm system is on track to bring a good foot to the town at 8000 feet and between 18 and 24 inches over the higher elevations; there is a substantial warm sector that will have plenty of QPF that will fall as rain over the lower elevations. Snowfall Accumulations will be tricky in town as amounts will depend upon how quickly the freezing level comes down. CRFC has the freezing level at Yosemite at 9800. at 10:00am Wed,  and 8300 at 4:00PM Wed.  The snow level is often times as much as 1500 feet below the freezing level; So it may be sticking snow over the upper elevations of town by Sunset.  The *IOP is between 10:00PM Wednesday and 4:00AM Thursday with an inch of QPF predicted for Yosemite.   Additionally, it will be very windy Wednesday ahead of the storm.   Wind advisories or even High Wind Criteria will likely be met by Wednesday afternoon. Because of the nature of the storm, and in that it is progressive through the sierra, there will be much less than the normal shadowing….eastward..

Thursday will be 20 degrees cooler than today with snow or snow showers depending on how fast the system exists.  It looks quite breezy Friday and Saturday then another ridge builds in Sunday into Monday next week.

There looks to be some rather windy systems coming in, prior to the end of the month with amounts in the light to moderate range.

 

Weekend Outlook:

Without any strong ridging and a SW flow aloft, it will be quite breezy early in the weekend with lower wind speeds Sunday into Monday…..

High in the 40s Saturday then low 50s Sunday….Lows in the teens and 20s….

Longer Range:

The El Nino/MJO forced pattern change has been pushed back to the first week of March….

*Intensive Operational Period