WEATHER FORECAST 09/19/07

[dmatt]

WEATHER FORECAST FOR THE OWENS VALLEY AND MAMMOTH AREA
PROVIDED BY DENNIS MATTINSON
EASTERN SIERRA WEATHER FORECASTER
BROADCASTING ON THE SIERRAWAVE 92.5 / 96.5 FM

LAST UPDATE: 8:21 AM PDT SEP 19, 2007

AN UNSEASONABLY COLD AND STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM NOW MOVING DOWN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST WILL BRING LOCALLY WINDY CONDITIONS LATER TODAY TO BOTH THE OWENS VALLEY AND THE HIGH COUNTRY. A DOWN SLOPE WIND EVENT IS POSSIBLE STARTING MID DAY TODAY WITH GUSTS TO 60+ MPH OVER THE CREST. A RED FLAG WARNING WILL BE IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM THIS EVENING. LOCALLY GUSTY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO THURSDAY. AS OF NOW, THE BULK OF THIS SYSTEM WILL REMAIN ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF CALIFORNIA WITH MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION ALONG THE COASTAL AREAS UNTIL IT MOVES INLAND LATE FRIDAY. HOWEVER, MAMMOTH AND THE HIGH COUNTRY SHOULD RECEIVE ENOUGH MOISTURE TO WARRANT A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW STARTING THIS EVENING.

TODAY FOR BISHOP AND THE OWENS VALLEY: MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY TONIGHT WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS LATE. HIGH TEMPERATURES AROUND 80. LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 40S. CALM WINDS BECOMING SOUTH @ 20 - 25 MPH GUSTING TO AS HIGH AS 35 IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

TOMORROW FOR BISHOP AND THE OWENS VALLEY: MOSTLY SUNNY TO PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20% CHANCE OF SHOWERS. HIGH TEMPERATURES AROUND 69. LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 30S. WINDS FROM THE SOUTHEAST @ 10 - 15 MPH GUSTING TO 35.

TODAY FOR MAMMOTH AND THE MONO VALLEYS: PARTLY CLOUDY AND WINDY BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 30% CHANCE OF SHOWERS LATE IN THE EVENING. CHANCE OF SNOW DOWN TO 8,500 FEET. HIGH TEMPERATURES AROUND 55 FOR THE MAIN LODGE AND THE MID 60S FOR THE MONO VALLEYS. LOW TEMPERATURE RANGE 34 - 44. WINDS FROM THE SOUTHWEST @ 15 - 25 GUSTING TO 40.

TOMORROW FOR MAMMOTH AND THE MONO VALLEYS: MOSTLY CLOUDY AND WINDY WITH A 30% CHANCE OF SHOWERS. CHANCE OF SNOW DOWN 7,000 FEET. HIGH TEMPERATURES AROUND 50 FOR THE MAIN LODGE AND THE LOW 60S FOR THE MONO VALLEYS. LOW TEMPERATURE RANGE 32 - 40. WINDS FROM THE SOUTHWEST @ 10 - 15 MPH.

THE UPPER LOW WILL REMAIN FAIRLY STATIONARY THEN MOVE INLAND LATE FRIDAY. THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW IN THE HIGH COUNTRY THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH THE BEST SHOT ON FRIDAY EVENING INTO SATURDAY. THE OWENS VALLEY WILL SEE ITS BEST CHANCE OF PRECIPTATION ON FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY AS WELL. THINGS START TO CLEAR OUT ON SATURDAY WITH DRYING CONDITIONS SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. FOR THOSE HIKERS ATTEMPTING MT. WHITNEY, THERE WILL BE A CONTINUED CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS STARTING TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY WITH EVENING LOWS DIPPING DOWN TO THE MID/UPPER TEENS BY FRIDAY.