Winter storm warning: Sierra Nevada faces 2 feet of snow, flooding threat in Texas and Washington, Oregon and Northern California brace for heavy rain

The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned that an active weather pattern is expected to bring rain, thunderstorms and mountain snow to several parts of the United States through Monday. A Pacific storm system will move inland across the western US, bringing periods of rain to the Northwest Coast, Intermountain West and California. Colder air following the system is expected to produce snowfall at higher elevations of the Cascades, Sierra Nevada and Intermountain West.

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Heavy rainfall warning for Texas

Meanwhile, a separate weather system moving eastward from the southern Rockies will bring showers and thunderstorms across the southern Plains and western Gulf Coast on Sunday. The NWS Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has maintained a Slight Risk for excessive Rainfall across parts of southeastern Texas, warning of potentially heavy rainfall, gusty winds and isolated strong to severe thunderstorms. The main band of showers and storms is expected to move offshore by Monday.
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In the Northeast and Great Lakes, cold northerly winds will continue to produce lake-effect precipitation near Lakes Erie and Ontario. While lower elevations can expect rain showers, higher terrain could see a mix of rain and snow on Sunday. Meanwhile, high pressure moving eastward from the Ohio Valley is expected to bring cooler and generally dry conditions to parts of the Southeast. Florida could see scattered coastal showers through Monday.

Heavy rain, snow likely in Washington, Oregon and Northern California

According to a report in Weather.com, heavy rain and high elevation snow will be hitting parts of Washington, Oregon and Northern California by Sunday morning. By the evening, it will spread from the Bay Area to western Montana.
By Monday, the rain and mountain snow will shift to the Intermountain West. The evening brings an increased chance of higher elevation snowfall, including the Sierra Nevada and Rockies.
There is even a chance of rain from Southern California, but it is not more than an inch. The Southern Sierra Nevada should see a snowfall total between 1-2 feet by the end of the day Monday.

The current round of rain and snow is expected to move eastward as another storm system approaches the West Coast. With earlier rounds of rainfall already saturating coastal soils, the risk of flooding could be higher than it was over the weekend. Cooler air settling across the region will also increase the chances of mountain snowfall, bringing another round of snow to the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges by Sunday evening.

The incoming storm is expected to make landfall near Northern California, concentrating the heaviest rainfall and mountain snowfall across the Sierra Nevada. Below-average temperatures will cause snow levels to drop, allowing snowfall at lower mountain elevations. Snow is also expected to return to parts of the Intermountain West by Sunday evening.

Heavy snow risk in Sierra Nevada

The Sierra Nevada mountain range, stretching across eastern California and western Nevada, is among the areas facing the greatest winter weather risks. NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center reported on November 15 that an atmospheric river associated with a Pacific storm would continue delivering moisture to the western United States. As colder air moves into the region, precipitation is expected to change from rain to snow at higher elevations.

“A stronger and colder storm Wednesday into Thursday could bring heavy Sierra snow and snow down to western Nevada valley floors,” National Weather Service, Reno said in a weather update.