MD 0165 CONCERNING HEAVY SNOW FOR PORTIONS OF THE SIERRA OVER CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
Mesoscale Discussion 0165
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0903 PM CDT Wed Mar 12 2025
Areas affected...portions of the Sierra over central California
Concerning...Heavy snow
Valid 130203Z - 130600Z
SUMMARY...Heavy snow should continue over the next several hours,
with snowfall rates potentially increasing to over 2 inches per hour
soon.
DISCUSSION...Deep-layer moisture and ascent persists across portions
of California into the Great Basin with the approach of a potent
upper trough. Deep-layer cold-air advection with the upper trough's
approach is encouraging the column to cool to the freezing mark over
higher elevations of the sierra. Here, surface temperatures are
already dipping into the mid 30s F, where the KTRK ASOS recently
reported heavy snow. The current thinking is that snowfall rates
should only continue to increase with increasing lift within a
moistening, cooling column. Synoptic-driven ascent, combined with
mesoscale orographic lift, will support heavy snowfall rates over
the higher elevations of the Sierra, with over 2 inch/hour snowfall
rates possible in a few locations.
..Squitieri.. 03/13/2025
...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov for graphic product...
ATTN...WFO...REV...HNX...STO...
LAT...LON 37491907 37661942 38071995 38842058 39802121 39962096
39872054 39392020 38071916 37661886 37541889 37491907