colder air coming

From the National Weather Service: A COLD GULF OF ALASKA STORM WILL MOVE INTO INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TODAY INTO THURSDAY. THIS WILL BRING SOME RAIN TO THE VALLEY WITH SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS AND INTO THE FOOTHILLS. THIS SYSTEM DOES NOT HAVE A STRONG MOISTURE TAP SO PRECIPITATION WILL BE RELATIVELY LIMITED. PRECIPITATION IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP OVER THE COASTAL MOUNTAINS THIS MORNING THEN SPREAD OVER THE ENTIRE AREA BY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED AS THE MAIN COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THIS EVENING. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE INTO THURSDAY WITH A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS POSSIBLE OVER THE SIERRA INTO EARLY FRIDAY. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 5 INCHES ARE FORECAST FOR THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. LIGHT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FROM A TRACE TO AROUND AN INCH ARE POSSIBLE IN THE FOOTHILLS STARTING LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN THE VALLEY GENERALLY WILL RANGE FROM A TRACE IN THE SOUTH TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH OR LESS OVER THE NORTH. SNOW LEVELS ARE FORECAST TO INITIALLY BE AROUND 3500 FEET OVER THE SHASTA AND COASTAL MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON...THEN LOWER TO AROUND 1000 TO 1500 FEET TONIGHT AND AS LOW AS 800 FEET BY THURSDAY. OVER THE SIERRA NEVADA...SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP FROM 4000 FEET THIS EVENING TO AROUND 1500 FEET BY THURSDAY MORNING. GUSTY WEST WIND IS LIKELY OVER HIGHER MOUNTAIN RIDGES WITH LOCAL GUSTS OVER 50 MPH POSSIBLE AT THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS. CLEARING SKIES THURSDAY NIGHT WILL MAKE FOR A CHILLY MORNING FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES FRIDAY MORNING WILL BE WELL BELOW AVERAGE WITH TEENS AND SINGLE DIGITS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND THE UPPER 20S AND LOWER 30S IN THE VALLEY. THE COOL TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH SOME BREEZY NORTH WINDS WILL MAKE IT FEEL EVEN COLDER. PERSONS TRAVELING INTO THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT AND THURSDAY MAY ENCOUNTER TRAVEL DELAYS FROM SLIPPERY ROADS AND POOR VISIBILITY. ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION AND CHECK THE LATEST WEATHER AND ROAD REPORTS BEFORE DEPARTURE.