Storms in West, Snow in Midwest

[Jeb]

Storm Watch

 

Stormy West and Midwest

12:11 P.M. ET 1/1/2005

 

M. Ressler, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel

 

 

A storm located off the coast of the Pacific Northwest is funneling showers into western Washington, western Oregon and the northern half of California. Snow levels remain very low between 1000 and 1500 feet in the Cascades, from 1500 to 2000 feet in the northern coastal range of California and up to 3000 feet in the northern Sierras. The most significant snow will continue to fall in northern and central California plus adjacent parts of Nevada where anywhere from 6 inches to 3 feet of additional accumulation will occur by late Sunday. Snow advisories are posted for the Cascades of Washington and Oregon where several inches of snow are expected through this evening. Wet snow may also mix in with rain in places like Seattle and Portland. Expect a rain/snow mix in these locations Saturday night. Rain will return Sunday and Monday to Southern California, the southern tip of Nevada, Arizona and even New Mexico as the storm drops southward the West Coast. With the ground saturated in many parts of the Southwest, flooding could again become a problem. Snow will increase over the mountains of the Southwest. Some snow will continue over the Great Basin and the Rockies this weekend with generally light accumulations.

 

With cold air in place from Montana and Wyoming to the Upper Midwest and a developing storm pushing east into the Central U.S., snow, sleet and freezing rain in on the increase. Freezing rain will be significant across central and southern Minnesota, northern Iowa and the southern half of Wisconsin into this evening and ice storm warnings have been issued. Snow will change to sleet and freezing rain over northern Michigan tonight. Snow is increasing in North Dakota, northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin where winter storm warnings are posted and snowfall totals by tonight will be in the 3-to-9-inch range. Wintry mix will shift eastward into northern Pennsylvania, Upstate New York and parts of New England on Sunday.