Special Weather Statement

From the National Weather Service office in Sacramento: PACIFIC STORM MOVES THROUGH THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT... IMPACTS: * SNOW WITH GUSTY WINDS COULD CAUSE POSSIBLE TRAVEL DELAYS AND CHAIN REQUIREMENTS IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. * SLICK ROADWAYS COULD LEAD TO INCREASED TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. NEXT PACIFIC STORM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. LIGHT TO MODERATE PRECIPITATION WILL DEVELOP OVER THE FORECAST AREA THURSDAY MORNING...TURNING SHOWERY THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. THE SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL DIMINISH BY EARLY FRIDAY AND THEN BE CONFINED TO MAINLY THE NORTHERN INTERIOR MOUNTAINS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY LOOK TO RANGE FROM AROUND A THIRD OF AN INCH OR LESS. IN THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS... PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS WILL VARY FROM A FEW TENTHS TO UPWARDS OF AN INCH OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. SNOW LEVELS WILL INITIALLY BE AROUND 7000 TO 8000 FEET THURSDAY MORNING BUT WILL LOWER TO AROUND 6000 TO 7000 FEET BY FRIDAY MORNING AS THE STORM IS WINDING DOWN. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ABOVE 7000 FEET WITH LOCALLY 1 TO 2 INCHES POSSIBLE DOWN TO AROUND 6000 FEET. LOCALLY BREEZY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH ARE POSSIBLE OVER HIGHER TERRAIN THURSDAY. LONGER RANGE FORECAST MODELS ARE SHOWING VARYING SOLUTIONS AT THIS TIME BUT THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS FOR UNSETTLED WEATHER OVER THE WEEKEND...ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS.