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New Storm to Wallop the Southern and Central Sierra Late tonight and especially Sun/Ngt!
Saturday March 19, 2011
Nice storm last night with amounts between 12 and 24 inches between the Village at Mammoth and the upper mountain. It will becoming windy today ahead of the next powerhouse storm this afternoon that’s biggest effects with be upon the coastal areas of central and especially Southern Ca. Small craft enthusiasts should not even think of going out tonight through Sunday as seas will be up to 18 feet off shore with Storm force winds….up to 64 knots.
Currently the surface system is already deepening offshore and will develop further tonight as it spins up and tracks NE ahead of the parent upper low off the Or/Northern Coast.
The latest 12z GFS has an a deep vortex dropping southward off the northern and Central Ca coast tomorrow morning that will focus a deep surge of moisture into the coastal sections Southern and Central Ca. QPF amounts are expected in the 3 to 5 inch range for the valleys of Southern Ca and up to 9 inches for the south facing mountains. Flash flood watches are hoisted by the NWS along the coastal Mt’s. The Southern Sierra appears to be bulls-eye as better orographics are to the south of Mammoth. However, there will still be plenty of UVM for a good 2.5 to 3 foot plus over the crest by Monday.
The Town of Mammoth near the village will get about 2 feet by Monday morning as well. 1 foot by Sunday evening and another by Monday AM. Winter Storm Watches are in effect for Mammoth beginning tonight through Monday AM.
Outlook:
A series of storms will effect the Sierra through the end of the new week. The next storm is about Wednesday and again about Thursday night/Friday.
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Disclaimer: I have been a hobbyist meteorologist for over 30 years here in the Mammoth area and I do this for my personal enjoyment. The National Weather Service saves lives every day . . . I do not. When making important planning decisions please use information provided by the National Weather Service as they are the most knowledgeable and accurate information source available today.