One product issued by NWS for: Santa Ana CA
Special Weather Statement
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA 908 AM PST TUE FEB 9 2010 CAZ042-043-048-050-055>058-060>062-110000- ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS- SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE- SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS-SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS- RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS- SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-APPLE AND LUCERNE VALLEYS- COACHELLA VALLEY-SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS- 908 AM PST TUE FEB 9 2010 ...A COLD AND VIGOROUS STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA TODAY THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY... A COLD...COMPACT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL TRACK SOUTHWARD JUST OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST TODAY...MOVING INLAND ACROSS NORTHERN BAJA EARLY WEDNESDAY. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING PRECIPITATION TODAY WITH SNOW LEVELS NEAR 4500 TO 5000 FEET. THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING WITH NUMEROUS SHOWERS CONTINUING OVERNIGHT AND DECREASING WEDNESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WITH SMALL HAIL ARE ALSO POSSIBLE TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TO AROUND 4000 FEET EARLY THIS EVENING AND 3000 FEET LATE TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. SNOW LEVELS THIS LOW WILL BRING SNOW TO THE UPPER DESERTS AND IMPACT TRAVEL MOST MOUNTAIN PASSES. SNOWFALL OF 8 TO 16 INCHES IS EXPECTED ABOVE 6000 FEET WITH LOCALLY GREATER AMOUNTS. SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED AT 4000 FEET AT SEVERAL MOUNTAIN PASSES. RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM NEAR 1 INCH AT THE COAST TO 1.5 TO 2.5 INCHES ON THE COASTAL MOUNTAIN SLOPES WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS TO 3.5 INCHES. AMOUNTS IN THE DESERTS WILL REACH ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH. PERIODS OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY FROM THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVIER SHOWERS WHICH COULD INCREASE THE RUNOFF AND FLOODING POTENTIAL...ESPECIALLY FOR NORTHERN AREAS NEARLY SATURATED FROM RAINFALL FROM LAST WEEKEND. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS POSTED FOR THESE AREAS THROUGH TONIGHT. IN AREAS WHICH HAVE SEEN FIRES IN RECENT YEARS...DEBRIS FLOWS WILL BE A THREAT DURING HEAVY RAINS. $$ MM/BALFOUR