000 
FXUS65 KVEF 251731
AFDLAS

MOJAVE DESERT/SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
920 AM PST THU JAN 25 2001

SYNOPSIS...WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRIEFLY PREVAIL OVER THE REGION 
TODAY AHEAD OF ANOTHER PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM WILL USHER 
IN ANOTHER ROUND OF UNSETTLED WEATHER TONIGHT AND FRIDAY...AND KEEP 
THE WEATHER UNSETTLED THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS IT MEANDERS OVER 
THE SOUTHWESTERN STATES.

DISCUSSION...STORM FROM YESTERDAY HAS MOVED INTO UTAH AND HAS 
QUICKLY BROUGHT CLOUD COVER WITH IT. VIS LOOP SHOWS GOOD SNOW COVER 
OVER NORTHERN PORTION OF CWA...WITH LOCATIONS UP THERE VERIFYING 
SNOW ADVISORY. ADVISORY IN SPRING MOUNTAINS SURPRISINGLY VERIFIED. 
SRN ZONES WERE MISSED BY STORM...EXCEPT FOR WINDY CONDITIONS OVER 
SAN BERNARDINO CO...WITH MOISTURE QUITE LIMITED. CIRRUS OVER THE CWA 
THIS MORNING IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEXT SYSTEM...ALREADY MOVING 
INTO NRN CA WITH GUSTY WINDS LOTS OF RAIN AND AN IMPRESSIVE LINE OF 
THUNDERSTORMS. WESTERLY FLOW HAS BROUGHT AN INCREASE IN PACIFIC 
MOISTURE OVER CENTRAL CA...WITH UPSLOPE CLOUDS FORMING ALONG SIERRA.

FOR NOW MID SHIFT FORECAST OF PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES MOST AREAS WITH 
WINDS IN THE 10 TO 20 MPH RANGE LOOKS GOOD FOR TODAY. NO UPDATE 
NECESSARY.

MODELS IN AGREEMENT SHOWING THAT SIGNIFICANT PCPN IS NOT EXPECTED AT 
THE CREST OF THE SIERRA AT INYO COUNTY UNTIL AFTER 00Z. MID SHIFT 
ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR INYO COUNTY ABOVE 5000 FEET FOR 
TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. THAT WILL BE KEPT ALIVE TODAY AND WILL BE 
ADDRESSED LATER TODAY. MOST LIKELY WILL WITH A WARNING ALONG THE 
SIERRA AND ADVISORY TO THE EAST...WHERE PCPN WILL BE SHADOWED BY 
TERRAIN.                  SL 

.LAS...A WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE EASTERN SLOPES 
OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA AND THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE DEATH VALLEY 
AREA TONIGHT AND FRIDAY FOR LOCATIONS ABOVE 4000 FEET. PLEASE REFER 
TO THE LATEST RNOWSWLAS STATEMENT FOR DETAILS.