3:00 PM Saturday, Cold Front now climbing the Sierra with the heaviest snowfall per hour now occurring.  Would expect WX front to be through by about 5:00PM and so there may be a brief break and actually some Blue Sky’s in back of the front before instability showers redevelop. Note: There is a band of showers developing in back of the front that seems to be spreading south. So snowfall rates will pick up again this evening….

The first storm will be very successful in bringing some 3 to 4 feet over the upper elevations by Sunday Morning…..

The next storm rolls late Sunday afternoon….. It will get windy Sunday night into Monday…

 

15:1 Platinum Powder should total between 1 and 2 feet between Monday night and Tuesday night.

 

Wednesday will be the day!!

 

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Platinum Powder Alert for Monday night into Tuesday for a foot or better of Platinum Powder…. S/W Ratios of at least 15:1 

Winter Storm Warning begins at 4:00PM this afternoon through Tuesday at 700PM

Blizzard Warning Sunday Night through Monday afternoon with snow drifts deeper than 10 feet in areas

Strong Gusty Winds as high as 50 MPH will accompany the heavy snowfall locally.

Snowfall amounts of between 4 and 10 feet are expected above 7000 feet within the time frame beginning tonight through Tuesday 7:00PM

In the Town of Mammoth, between 3 and 6 feet is possible within the Warning time frame

Forest Service Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center has issues an Avalanche Warning between Virginia Lakes to the north and Bishop Creek to the South.
Avalanche danger will become high in non controlled areas from Saturday morning through the weekend.

 

Discussion:

 

Surface low west of the Bay Area continues to deepen with cyclogenesis continuing….This first system is a slow mover and will make its way into the high country late tonight with heavy snow developing and continuing through Saturday night. If there is some kind of break it will be later Sunday morning before the next system hits Sunday night into Monday. Each successive storm will be colder with the last in the series Monday night into Tuesday bringing Modified Arctic air and cold dry powder. (Platinum Powder)  Wednesday looks to be Blue Bird at this time but another system may follow for the following weekend…  “Who Needs El Nino”  !!!!

 

The guidance suggests that up to 10 feet of snow is possible over the upper mountain on Mammoth Mt by Tuesday night….

Lions and Tigers and Giraffes….Oh My!!

 

PS, IF YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL DURING SOME OF THESE DANGEROUS PERIODS, BE SURE TO TAKE WARM BLANKETS, FOOD AND HAVE A FULL TANK OF GAS FOR YOUR CAR. IF YOU GET STUCK IN A BLIZZARD ON THE HIGHWAY, STAY IN YOUR CAR…

 

 

Dr Howard and the Dweebs…………………………:-)