2011 weather: redux 2010

It's overcast and dark in Idyllwild this morning. Happy 2011.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
SAN DIEGO CA     1058 AM PST SUN JAN 2 2011

 THE INLAND EMPIRE-
SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS-SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-

 ...A COLD STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA THIS  AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY...


 A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION THIS
AFTERNOON 

 SPREADING RAIN AND SNOW ACROSS OUR REGION THIS EVENING INTO
MONDAY MORNING. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE MOST OF MONDAY. 


 RAINFALL ESTIMATES ARE FROM ABOUT A THIRD OF AN INCH TO ONE
INCH FROM THE COAST TO THE FOOTHILLS...1 TO 1.5 INCHES IN THE 
MOUNTAINS...LESS THAN A THIRD OF AN INCH IN THE HIGH DESERT...
AND LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH IN THE LOWER DESERTS.


 WITH NEARLY SATURATED GROUND...THE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL
CAUSE RUNOFF AND LOCALIZED FLOODING OF CREEKS AND LOW LYING
AREAS.THERE COULD BE SMALL DEBRIS FLOWS IN STEEP TERRAIN
AND ON AND BELOWRECENT BURN AREAS.

 THE SNOW LEVEL WILL BE AROUND 3500 TO 4000 FEET IN THE MOUNTAINS... 
BUT WILL REACH THE HIGH DESERT FLOOR. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL OF
8 TO  12 INCHES IS POSSIBLE ABOVE 5000 FEET...AND AROUND AN INCH OR
TWO OF  SNOW COULD ACCUMULATE ON THE HIGH DESERT FLOOR...
WITH TWO TO FOUR  INCHES ON THE DESERT MOUNTAIN SLOPES.

 MOTORISTS TRAVELING THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY SHOULD
CLOSELYMONITOR THE LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTS
ANDSTATEMENTS AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY. THE RAIN AND SNOW WILL CAUSE
SLICK ROADS AND  MOTORISTS SHOULD USE EXTRA CAUTION. DO NOT DRIVE
THROUGHFLOODED AREAS OR AROUND BARRICADES. IF TRAVELING THROUGH
MOUNTAIN PASSESOR INTO THE MOUNTAINS...BE PREPARED FOR SNOW AND
ICE ON THE ROADWAYS AND LOW WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES.