Truckee, CA…What is supposed to be the last major storm wave before the precipitation amounts slow down is rolling through our coverage areas tonight. Much of Northern California is getting pounded.

This make the jobs of emergency, road and utility crews that much harder. All along the Mother Lode Region and the Sierras the outage numbers are grim with tens of thousands without power at this time.

They should start getting a break tomorrow with only 1-3 inches forecast during the day. While still significant it pales in comparison to recent totals measured in feet.

Updated Storm Warnings are below..

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
845 PM PST FRI FEB 18 2011

…MORE SNOW TO AFFECT THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS
THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING…

.SNOW LEVELS HAVE INCREASED THIS EVENING OVER THE WESTERN SLOPES
GENERALLY RANGING BETWEEN 3000 AND 4000 FEET TO 2500 TO 3000 FEET
OVER THE NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS. ALONG THE COASTAL RANGE OVER
SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY SNOW LEVELS ARE AROUND 2500 FEET AND 4 TO 6
INCHES OF SNOW HAS ACCUMULATED FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
EARLY EVENING AT THE 3200 FOOT LEVEL.

COLDER AIR IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE INTERIOR AFTER 4 AM AND
LOWER SNOW LEVELS BACK INTO THE MOTHERLODE DOWN TO 1500 TO 2000
FEET DURING THE MORNING. 2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW WILL LIKELY FALL
DURING THE MORNING PERIOD ABOVE 2000 FEET.

TRAVEL TO THE MOUNTAINS WILL REMAIN DANGEROUS. MANY LOCATIONS IN
THE SIERRA HAVE LOST POWER. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO POSTPONE
TRAVEL IF POSSIBLE UNTIL SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

CAZ069-191645-
/O.CON.KSTO.WS.W.0002.000000T0000Z-110219T2000Z/
WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA-
845 PM PST FRI FEB 18 2011

…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST
SATURDAY…

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST SATURDAY.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: AN ADDITIONAL 4 TO 8 INCHES ABOVE 4000
FEET…GENERALLY 10 TO 16 INCHES OVER HIGHER ELEVATIONS.

* TIMING: SNOW CONTINUING OVERNIGHT…THEN TAPERING OFF DURING
SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

* WINDS: SOUTHEAST WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH. SOUTHWEST WIND GUSTS TO
45 MPH ARE POSSIBLE OVER HIGHER MOUNTAIN ELEVATIONS.

* LOCATIONS INCLUDE: INTERSTATE 80 AND HIGHWAY 50.

* IMPACTS: HAZARDOUS TRAVELING CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT.
DANGEROUS BACK COUNTRY TRAVELING CONDITIONS AND HIGH AVALANCHE
DANGER ARE POSSIBLE IN PRONE AREAS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE
FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN
EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL…KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT…
FOOD…AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

&&

$$

Hazardous Weather Outlook

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
700 AM PST FRI FEB 18 2011

CAZ013>019-063-064-066>069-191500-
SHASTA LAKE AREA/NORTHERN SHASTA COUNTY-
BURNEY BASIN/EASTERN SHASTA COUNTY-NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY-
CENTRAL SACRAMENTO VALLEY-SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY-
CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA-NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
MOUNTAINS SOUTHWESTERN SHASTA TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTIES-
CLEAR LAKE/SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY-MOTHERLODE-
EAST FOOTHILLS/NORTH SACRAMENTO VALLEY-
WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK-WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA-
700 AM PST FRI FEB 18 2011

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

.DAY ONE…TODAY

WINTER WEATHER CONTINUES IN THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS THROUGH
TONIGHT.

* WINTER STORM WARNING…….SEE WWUS46 KSTO – WSWSTO FOR DETAILS *

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN… SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

WINTER WEATHER WILL LINGER IN THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS INTO
SATURDAY MORNING. MOST LOCATIONS IN INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
WILL HAVE A BREAK IN THE WEATHER LATE ON SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.
ANOTHER ROUND OF WINTER STORMS MOVES THROUGH THE AREA BEGINNING ON
MONDAY AND LASTING THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT…

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT
(LOWER CASE): HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/STO
$$

KJ