Our next winter storm is almost here!
Thursday's storm will bring us good, beneficial rain and some of the first mountain snow of the season as a cold front pushes through Kern County.
We haven't seen too much change in the forecast, so confidence is high.
A band of steady rain will begin to push into northern Kern County around sunrise Thursday, and slowly push south, likely lasting three to four hours.
That means most of us will be in for a rainy morning commute.
Valley rain totals look to be between a quarter and half an inch, with showers tapering off Thursday afternoon.
Showers will remain trapped in the foothills and mountains a bit longer, and we'll see some mountain snow, too.
Snow levels will start out around 6,000 feet, so places like Alta Sierra that are above the snow line will see all snow, and some impressive totals that could be well over half a foot.
Levels will drop to just below 4,000 feet by Thursday afternoon, so places like Frazier Park, Tehachapi, and even the Grapevine will see some flakes mixing in, but little accumulation is expected.
After the system clears our attention will turn to some cold overnights, with a Freeze Watch in effect for the Valley Friday night, and a Hard Freeze Watch in effect for the desert.
We're also keeping our eye on another storm system that may bring more rain and snow early next week!
