Weather Alert in California
Winter Storm Warning issued February 15 at 11:20AM PST until February 19 at 10:00AM PST by NWS Medford OR
AREAS AFFECTED: Western Siskiyou County
DESCRIPTION: ...LOW SNOW LEVELS WITH MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF PRECIPITATION... .A sharp cold front will push through the region Monday night into Tuesday morning with a cold air mass to follow through at least Thursday. Snow levels will quickly lower from around 3000 ft during the day Monday to around 1000-1500 ft late Monday night into the early hours of Tuesday. Multiple waves of precipitation will move through the region while this cold air mass is in place, bringing multiple opportunities for low elevation snow. This will be a long duration event, and after the initial front Monday night, precipitation will become more showery, resulting in periods of spotty and quick accumulations. The values reflected below indicate totals over a 72 hour period from 10pm Monday through 10pm Thursday. Daytime heating will result in snow levels rising to around 2000-2500 ft during the daylight hours, then lower back down during the overnight periods. The best chances for accumulating snow down to valley floors will be during the overnight and early morning hours. * WHAT...Heavy snow expected above 5000 ft through Monday morning with accumulations of 4 to 8 inches expected. After a brief lull in precipitation Monday afternoon, snow levels drop to around 1000-1500 ft Monday night into Tuesday, and remain low through Thursday. Additional snow accumulations 6 to 12 inches are expected with 2 to 3 ft expected above 5000 ft. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph over high and exposed terrain. * WHERE...In western Siskiyou County, elevations above 5000 ft through Monday morning, lowering all areas Monday evening. This includes all of Highway 96 and 3, and Etna Summit on Sawyers Bar Rd. This also now includes the Klamath River and Scott Valleys, the communities of Happy Camp, Somes Bar, Etna, Greenview, and Callahan. * WHEN...Until 10 AM PST Thursday. * IMPACTS...Travel may be very difficult to impossible. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning and evening commutes. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The heaviest snow is expected late Monday night into Tuesday morning. Visit weather.gov/mfr/winter for snow probabilities.
INSTRUCTION: If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Call 511 or visit quickmap.dot.ca.gov for road information.
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Weather Topic: What is Rain?
Home - Education - Precipitation - Rain
Next Topic: Shelf Clouds
Precipitation in the form of water droplets is called rain.
Rain generally has a tendency to fall with less intensity over a greater period
of time, and when rainfall is more severe it is usually less sustained.
Rain is the most common form of precipitation and happens with greater frequency
depending on the season and regional influences. Cities have been shown to have
an observable effect on rainfall, due to an effect called the urban heat island.
Compared to upwind, monthly rainfall between twenty and forty miles downwind of
cities is 30% greater.
Next Topic: Shelf Clouds
Weather Topic: What is Sleet?
Home - Education - Precipitation - Sleet
Next Topic: Snow
Sleet is a form of precipitation in which small ice pellets are the primary
components. These ice pellets are smaller and more translucent than hailstones,
and harder than graupel. Sleet is caused by specific atmospheric conditions and
therefore typically doesn't last for extended periods of time.
The condition which leads to sleet formation requires a warmer body of air to be
wedged in between two sub-freezing bodies of air. When snow falls through a warmer
layer of air it melts, and as it falls through the next sub-freezing body of air
it freezes again, forming ice pellets known as sleet. In some cases, water
droplets don't have time to freeze before reaching the surface and the result is
freezing rain.
Next Topic: Snow
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