Winter Storm Warning in effect for surrounding mountain areas
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the San Bernardino and Riverside County Mountain areas. It will go into effect at 4 pm Sunday and last through Monday at 4 pm.
Expect snow levels starting around 6,500 feet Sunday afternoon. By Monday morning, snow levels will drop to around 5,000 ft.
Significant snowfall amounts could make travel dangerous.
Snow accumulations are forecasted as follows:
5,000 – 5,500 ft.: 2 – 4 inches
5,500 – 6,000 ft: 4 – 8 inches
6,000 – 6,500 ft.: 5 – 10 inches
7,000 – 7,500 ft.: 7 – 14 inches
Above 8,000 ft.: 8 – 16 inches
The full text warning from the National Weather Service is copied below:
Winter Storm Warning URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGENATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA1057 AM PST SUN FEB 22 2015…HEAVY SNOW LIKELY ABOVE 6000 FEET IN THE SAN BERNARDINO ANDRIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS TONIGHT INTO MONDAY….LOW PRESSURE ALOFT WILL BRING COLDER CONDITIONS AND SNOW SHOWERSACROSS THE MOUNTAINS BEGINNING THIS AFTERNOON. THE SNOW WILLBECOME HEAVIER AND STEADIER OVERNIGHT…WITH AMOUNTS OF 8 TO12 INCHES OR HIGHER LIKELY ABOVE 6000 FEET BY MONDAY MORNING. INADDITION…SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW MAY ACCUMULATE BETWEEN 5000 AND6000 FEET. LIGHTER SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ON MONDAY…ANDTAPER OFF MONDAY NIGHT. GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THESNOWFALL TONIGHT BEFORE DECREASING ON MONDAY.CAZ055-056-230600-/O.CON.KSGX.WS.W.0001.150223T0000Z-150224T0000Z/SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS…BIG BEAR CITY…BIG BEAR LAKE…RUNNING SPRINGS…WRIGHTWOOD1057 AM PST SUN FEB 22 2015…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THISAFTERNOON TO 4 PM PST MONDAY…* ELEVATIONS…6000 FEET AND ABOVE…WITH LIGHTER ACCUMULATIONS LIKELY AT 5000 TO 6000 FOOT ELEVATIONS.* SNOW LEVELS…STARTING AROUND 6500 TO 7000 FEET THIS AFTERNOON. FALLING TO 5500 FEET OVERNIGHT AND THEN TO AROUND 5000 FEET MONDAY MORNING.* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…2 TO 4 INCHES AT 5000 TO 5500 FOOT ELEVATION…3 TO 6 INCHES AT 5500 TO 6000 FOOT ELEVATION…4 TO 8 INCHES AT 6000 TO 6500 FOOT ELEVATION…5 TO 10 INCHES AT 6500 TO 7000 FOOT ELEVATION…6 TO 12 INCHES AT 7000 TO 7500 FOOT ELEVATION…7 TO 14 INCHES AT 7500 TO 8000 FEET AND 8 TO 16 INCHES ABOVE 8000 FOOT ELEVATION.* WINDS…LOCAL SOUTHWEST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH OVER HIGHER TERRAIN…DECREASING ON MONDAY.* TIMING…THE MAJORITY OF THE SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION WILL OCCUR TONIGHT…INTO EARLY MONDAY MORNING.* VISIBILITY…REDUCED TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS AT TIMES IN FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW.* IMPACTS…HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS IN THE MOUNTAINS DUE TO HEAVY SNOW…ICE AND BLOWING SNOW. CHAINS MAY BE NEEDED ON VEHICLES.* OUTLOOK…SNOW SHOWERS WILL GRADUALLY TAPER OFF ON MONDAY AND END BY LATE MONDAY NIGHT.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHERCONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OFSNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL INAN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL…KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT…FOOD…AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
