Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs A winter storm will bring heavy snow to high elevations in the Sierra Nevada this weekend, with some parts of northern California expecting as much as 60 inches of snow.The incoming storm has prompted numerous National Weather Service (NWS) alerts, ranging from winter storm warnings to wind advisories. The system comes several weeks after a slew of atmospheric rivers brought heavy snow and rain across California in late November, though the Golden State has been mostly dry since.The weekend storm is the second in a series of back-to-back storms forecast to hit California every few days up until Christmas, meteorologists said.
Snow blankets Mammoth Mountain in California on March 12, 2023. An incoming winter storm could bring up to 11 inches of snow to Mammoth Lakes.
Snow blankets Mammoth Mountain in California on March 12, 2023. An incoming winter storm could bring up to 11 inches of snow to Mammoth Lakes.
Mario Tama/Getty
According to snowfall maps shared by NWS offices in California, northeastern California is expecting the heaviest snow with the incoming system at anywhere from 48 to 60 inches in high elevations of Lassen National Park. Donner Peak could see up to 24 inches, as well as Ebbetts Pass and Sonora Pass.”A stronger, wetter system will move into the area Friday through Saturday. Here’s a look at the forecast rainfall and snowfall totals you can expect from this weather system,” the NWS office in Sacramento posted on X, formerly Twitter, with a map of the areas expecting to get hit hardest.A stronger, wetter system will move into the area Friday through Saturday. Here’s a look at the forecast rainfall and snowfall totals you can expect from this weather system. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/ueAiFiPgRO— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) December 12, 2024
NWS lead meteorologist Nathan Rick told Newsweek that most of the precipitation would move out of the area by Saturday night, with Sunday looking “mostly dry.”Further south, up to 12 inches of snow is forecast for Yosemite Valley, with up to 11 inches hitting Mammoth Lakes.”Another winter storm will moving through Central California will provide the Sierra Nevada with additional snowfall accumulation starting late tonight,” the NWS office in Hanford posted on X. “Expected 24 hour snowfall accumulation will range from 6 to more than 24 inches across Sierra Nevada.”Another winter storm will moving through Central California will provide the Sierra Nevada with additional snowfall accumulation starting late tonight. Expected 24 hour snowfall accumulation will range from 6 to more than 24 inches across Sierra Nevada. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/NmAQRX8uw2— NWS Hanford (@NWSHanford) December 13, 2024
Both offices have winter storm warnings in place advising residents of heavy snow.”Travel could be very difficult to impossible. The hazardous conditions could impact commutes. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches,” the NWS office in Sacramento said. “Persons should delay travel if possible. If travel is absolutely necessary, drive with extreme caution and be prepared for sudden changes in visibility. Consider taking a winter storm kit along with you and anything else that would help you survive in case you become stranded.”AccuWeather meteorologists previously voiced concerns that the incoming system could become a bomb cyclone.A bomb cyclone occurs when storm pressure drops quickly, strengthening the disturbance and ramping up wind gusts. Atmospheric rivers are a “long, narrow region in the atmosphere—like rivers in the sky—that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
