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From the National Weather Service office in Sacramento: WINDY AND WET WEATHER EXPECTED TUESDAY INTO THURSDAY... A COLD STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TUESDAY INTO THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL COOL SEVERAL DEGREES TOMORROW WITH MORE CLOUD COVER AND A COOLER AIRMASS MOVING INTO THE AREA. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND BE BREEZY INTO WEDNESDAY. SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN OVER THE NORTH TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND SPREAD TO THE SACRAMENTO AREA IN THE EVENING AND DOWN INTO THE NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY OVERNIGHT. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE PRECIPITATION WILL BECOME MORE SHOWERY WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN THE VALLEY ARE EXPECTED TO GENERALLY BE AROUND AN INCH NEAR REDDING... TO AROUND A HALF INCH NEAR SACRAMENTO...TO AROUND A QUARTER OF AN INCH NEAR MODESTO. AROUND 0.75 INCH TO 1.5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED IN THE FOOTHILLS AND LAKE COUNTY. ALTHOUGH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THUNDERSTORMS ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. THE COLDEST AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING BRINGING SNOW LEVELS DOWN TO AROUND 2000 FT. DURING THIS TIME...SOME HIGHER FOOTHILL LOCATIONS COULD SEE A COUPLE INCHES OF SNOW. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SACRAMENTO HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 4000 FEET FOR HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM TUESDAY TO 10 PM PST WEDNESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 10 TO 20 INCHES WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS AROUND TWO FEET POSSIBLE AT THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS. MINOR ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE DOWN TO 3000 FT ON WEDNESDAY. * ELEVATION: ABOVE 4000 FT. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT AROUND 5000 TO 6500 FT TUESDAY AND DROP DOWN TO AROUND 3000 TO 4000 FT ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. * TIMING: LIGHT PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND BECOME HEAVIER TUESDAY EVENING NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80 AND AROUND INTERSTATE 80 AND SOUTH WEDNESDAY MORNING. SNOWFALL RATES UP TO 2 INCHES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE SIERRA AROUND 4 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING. * LOCATIONS INCLUDE: CHESTER...QUINCY...BLUE CANYON...AND HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF INTERSTATE 80...HIGHWAYS 50 AND 88. * WINDS: SOUTH 15 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH. * IMPACTS: SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL WITH POTENTIAL FOR BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ON SIERRA ROADWAYS MAY RESULT IN HAZARDOUS TRAVELING CONDITIONS. LOCALIZED WHITEOUT CONDITIONS POSSIBLE.