Moderate to heavy snow is likely across the Sierra Nevada on Tuesday. Severe thunderstorms are possible across the Southern Plains.

Sierra Nevada: Deepening, but sluggish, trough of low pressure over the Pacific Coast will bring favorable southwest winds and forcing for ascent or strong orographic lift, over the Sierra Nevada on Tuesday. Heavy snow is expected with in excess of a foot of snow possible across the higher elevations.

Southern Plains: A conditional risk for isolated strong to severe thunderstorms will again be possible on Tuesday, but further to the north across Oklahoma and Texas. A moist environment characterized by low to mid 60’s dewpoints will likely contribute to moderate instability by late afternoon; however, storm development will again be suppressed by a strong capping inversion and the placement. Should storms develop along the dryline, severe impacts are likely with very large hail, damaging winds and an isolated tornado or two possible. Confidence remains low in actual storm development at this time.

West-Central California: Oddly enough, one region that may have a better chance of seeing severe thunderstorm development will exist across California, beneath the slow moving trough of low pressure. Vertical wind shear and a small amount of instability, resulting from very steep lapse rates, could support isolated severe thunderstorm development with a risk for small hail, winds gusting in excess of 45 mph and even a brief spin up.