URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
209 AM PDT FRI OCT 3 2008

...STRONG EARLY SEASON WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE SIERRA HIGH
COUNTRY...

.A STRONG EARLY SEASON PACIFIC FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL PUSH INTO
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA LATE TONIGHT. THIS FRONT WILL BRING THE FIRST
SNOW OF THE SEASON TO THE HIGH COUNTRY OF THE SIERRA WITH THE
GREATEST THREAT OF HEAVY SNOW OCCURRING FROM KINGS CANYON TO
YOSEMITE PARK. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS UP TO FOOT OVER THE HIGH
COUNTRY ARE LIKELY BY SATURDAY EVENING...WITH WITH AROUND 6 INCHES
OF SNOW ACCUMULATION AT THE 8000 FOOT LEVEL. ACCUMULATING SNOW
COULD FALL AS LOW AS 7000 FEET ON SATURDAY.

CAZ096-031715-
/O.UPG.KHNX.WS.A.0008.081004T0600Z-081005T0600Z/
/O.NEW.KHNX.WS.W.0007.081004T0600Z-081005T0600Z/
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
209 AM PDT FRI OCT 3 2008

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA FROM
YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 PM PDT
SATURDAY...
...WINTER STORM WATCH NO LONGER IN EFFECT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HANFORD HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA FROM
YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 PM PDT
SATURDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

A STRONG EARLY SEASON WINTER STORM WILL MOVE INTO CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA TONIGHT AND IT WILL LINGER INTO SATURDAY EVENING. RAIN
AND HIGHEST ELEVATION SNOW WILL BEGIN OVER THE SIERRA NEVADA BY
LATE THIS EVENING AND IT WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES THROUGH THE
DAY ON SATURDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT AT AROUND 12000 FEET
AFFECTING JUST THE HIGHEST PEAKS, HOWEVER AS COOLER AIR ARRIVES
THE SNOW LEVEL WILL DROP TO AROUND 8000 FEET BY MID DAY SATURDAY.
THIS STORM SYSTEM HAS THE POTENTIAL OF TO PRODUCE CONSIDERABLE
AMOUNTS OF SNOW OVER THE HIGH COUNTRY WHERE ACCUMULATIONS MAY
REACH OR EXCEED 12 INCHES. STRONG WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THE SNOW
OVER THE HIGH COUNTRY WHERE GUSTS EXCEEDING 60 MPH ARE LIKELY. AT
THE 8000 FOOT LEVEL TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 6 INCHES ARE
LIKELY BEFORE THE SNOW ENDS LATE SATURDAY EVENING.

PERSONS PLANNING TRIPS TO THE SIERRA SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR
WINTRY CONDITIONS...CARRY CHAINS AND A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT. HIKERS
SHOULD CANCEL PLANS TO VENTURE INTO THE SIERRA THIS WEEKEND AND
THOSE WHO CAN CONTACT HIKERS AND OTHER OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS ALREADY IN
THE SIERRA SHOULD DO SO AT ONCE TO ADVISE OF THIS DANGEROUS HIGH
COUNTRY WINTER WEATHER SITUATION. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER
RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA SOURCE FOR UPDATES ON THIS
POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS WINTER STORM.|

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SNOW IS
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO LIKELY. THIS WILL
MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.