Rain, feet of mountain snow to nail West Coast

California and the West Coast remain entrenched in a crippling drought that’s left some reservoirs dry and vegetation desiccated, but the atmosphere will deliver another welcome dose of water this week. A soaking slug of heavy rain and feet of mountain snow will plaster the Western U.S., with up to 10 feet of accumulation and blizzard conditions in the mountains amid a replenishing of the Sierra Nevada’s snowpack. The storm could bring issues for holiday travelers, however.

Winter storm watches span the length of the Sierra Nevada, where hurricane-force winds will also combine with the snow to bring near-zero visibilities. In the Cascades, winter storm warnings have been issued. Freezing fog was already affecting parts of Northern California and the Great Basin of Nevada early Monday, an undesirable prelude to an extended period of inclement weather.

The National Weather Service is warning of “major travel disruptions” likely in the West, writing that Monday “is the last ‘all clear’ weather travel day.” AAA is estimating that more than 109 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2, a spike of 27.7% over last year.

“The duration and the amounts do look pretty impressive,” said Dan Harty, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Hanford.