Kevin Rooney
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- Sep 15, 2003
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I know some VFTT'ers have plans for visiting the Sierra, such as Yosemite, in the upcoming weeks, so wanted to bring this winter storm warning to their attention. This storm is a bit early, and temps/conditions are expected to return to more normal levels after the storm passes. What effects this has on the high country for the fall is anyone's guess - the skiers are thrilled but the leaf-peepers aren't. It will certainly close the mountains passes in the short term, but they're expected to re-open. For an historical sense of when these passes close, click here (for some reason the 2006-2007 season is incomplete).
And keep in mind that some of the passes on US395 (the main north/south artery in the Sierra) are 2 and 3,000 feet taller than Mt Washington, and these are not passes listed on the website above, so driving in storm conditions . If traveling in a rental vehicle without heavy-duty snows and you get caught in a storm, you must put on chains in order to proceed. And the CHP doesn't give fig about how long you've been driving those snowy roads in Northern New England! Should these conditions occur, they'll be signs posted. This requirement doesn't apply only in California - states like NV, OR and others have them.
These taller mountain passes on US395 are north of Bishop, and mostly north of Lee Vining, where the entrance to Yosemite is via Tioga Pass. That means accessing the Bishop/Mammoth area during winter is easier from the south (like LA) than from the north (Reno).
____________________________________________________________________
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
216 PM PDT FRI SEP 21 2007
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
216 PM PDT FRI SEP 21 2007
HEAVY SNOW WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM PDT SATURDAY SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON AND FOR THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS..
WINTER STORM WATCH NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON AND FOR THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HANFORD HAS ISSUED A HEAVY SNOW
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM PDT SATURDAY FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON AND FOR THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS.
THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
AN EARLY SEASON PACIFIC STORM OFF POINT CONCEPTION WILL MOVE INLAND LATER TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO BRING TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO 18 INCHES ABOVE 8000 FEET...WITH 6 INCHES OR MORE POSSIBLE ABOVE 7000 FEET. LOCAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN THE HIGH COUNTRY COULD BE GREATER IN THE HEAVIEST SNOW SHOWERS. THE EXACT TRACK OF THE STORM IS STILL UNCERTAIN...SO SNOW FALL AMOUNTS MAY VARY.
DUE TO IT BEING THE FIRST SEASON SNOWFALL, CRITERIA FOR THE FIRST HEAVY SNOW WARNING IS CONSIDERABLY LOWER THAN NORMAL HEAVY SNOW WARNINGS. THE CRITERIA IS ONLY 4 INCHES IN 12 HOURS OR 6 INCHES IN 24 HOURS. HIKERS AND CAMPERS ARE URGED TO PREPARE FOR WINTER LIKE CONDITIONS AND RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS WITH THIS STORM.
IF YOU MUST TRAVEL, KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT, FOOD AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
And keep in mind that some of the passes on US395 (the main north/south artery in the Sierra) are 2 and 3,000 feet taller than Mt Washington, and these are not passes listed on the website above, so driving in storm conditions . If traveling in a rental vehicle without heavy-duty snows and you get caught in a storm, you must put on chains in order to proceed. And the CHP doesn't give fig about how long you've been driving those snowy roads in Northern New England! Should these conditions occur, they'll be signs posted. This requirement doesn't apply only in California - states like NV, OR and others have them.
These taller mountain passes on US395 are north of Bishop, and mostly north of Lee Vining, where the entrance to Yosemite is via Tioga Pass. That means accessing the Bishop/Mammoth area during winter is easier from the south (like LA) than from the north (Reno).
____________________________________________________________________
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
216 PM PDT FRI SEP 21 2007
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
216 PM PDT FRI SEP 21 2007
HEAVY SNOW WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM PDT SATURDAY SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON AND FOR THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS..
WINTER STORM WATCH NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON AND FOR THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HANFORD HAS ISSUED A HEAVY SNOW
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM PDT SATURDAY FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON AND FOR THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS.
THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
AN EARLY SEASON PACIFIC STORM OFF POINT CONCEPTION WILL MOVE INLAND LATER TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO BRING TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO 18 INCHES ABOVE 8000 FEET...WITH 6 INCHES OR MORE POSSIBLE ABOVE 7000 FEET. LOCAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN THE HIGH COUNTRY COULD BE GREATER IN THE HEAVIEST SNOW SHOWERS. THE EXACT TRACK OF THE STORM IS STILL UNCERTAIN...SO SNOW FALL AMOUNTS MAY VARY.
DUE TO IT BEING THE FIRST SEASON SNOWFALL, CRITERIA FOR THE FIRST HEAVY SNOW WARNING IS CONSIDERABLY LOWER THAN NORMAL HEAVY SNOW WARNINGS. THE CRITERIA IS ONLY 4 INCHES IN 12 HOURS OR 6 INCHES IN 24 HOURS. HIKERS AND CAMPERS ARE URGED TO PREPARE FOR WINTER LIKE CONDITIONS AND RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS WITH THIS STORM.
IF YOU MUST TRAVEL, KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT, FOOD AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
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