MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0145
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   1153 PM CST FRI FEB 25 2011
   
   AREAS AFFECTED...SWRN CA MOUNTAINS
   
   CONCERNING...HEAVY SNOW 
   
   VALID 260553Z - 261200Z
   
   SNOW WILL SPREAD SWD ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF SWRN CA OVERNIGHT
   TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING WITH RATES OF 2 INCHES PER HOUR
   ANTICIPATED. SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO FALL TOWARD LOWER
   ELEVATIONS DURING THE MORNING HOURS ON SATURDAY.
   
   VIGOROUS ASCENT IN ASSOCIATION WITH DEEP-LAYER LOW PRESSURE DROPPING
   S-SEWD NEAR THE WRN CA COAST WILL CAUSE PRECIPITATION TO SHIFT SWD
   ACROSS THE SWRN CA MOUNTAINS OVERNIGHT TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY
   MORNING. AS STRONG LOW/MID-LEVEL W-SWLY FLOW /AOA 70 KT AT 500 MB
   PER RUC ANALYSIS/ IMPINGES ON THE MOUNTAINS OF SWRN CALIFORNIA...AND
   COMBINES WITH A PLUME OF DEEP-LAYER MOISTURE CHARACTERIZED BY PWAT
   VALUES OF 0.50 TO 0.75 INCH...PRECIPITATION RATES WILL INTENSIFY
   TONIGHT. WHILE MOST OF THE SNOW WILL INITIALLY BE CONFINED TO THE
   HIGHER MOUNTAIN ELEVATIONS...SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TOWARD LOWER
   ELEVATIONS SATURDAY MORNING WITH THE APPROACH OF THE LOW AND COLDER
   TEMPERATURES ALOFT. THE STRONG UPSLOPE FLOW AND DEEP-LAYER FORCING
   WILL FAVOR SNOWFALL RATES OF 2 INCHES PER HOUR ACROSS THE DISCUSSION
   AREA. THE SNOW IS FORECAST TO PERSIST INTO SATURDAY MORNING PER THE
   03Z RUN OF THE EXPERIMENTAL HRRR.
   
   ..COHEN.. 02/26/2011
   
   
   ATTN...WFO...PSR...VEF...SGX...LOX...
   
   LAT...LON   32751641 32841659 33131670 33301687 33441695 33581682
               33871688 34091701 34211726 34241768 34181797 34411804
               34471732 34311666 34211633 34121612 33991605 33921618
               33981645 33961656 33841656 33731643 33601629 33451631
               33351639 32841629 32751641