A very strong storm system will be moving into Kern County soon.
By around midnight Thursday night the first wave of moisture should arrive in Kern.
This first wave will be mostly mountain snow, which could be heavy at times.
The snow will couple with strong winds gusting to over 50 miles per hour, which means blizzard conditions with near zero visibility will be possible over the passes Thursday night.
Travel will be extremely difficult, and the passes could close down.
At this point I expect 3-6" of snow over the Grapevine Thursday night, and 2-4" in Tehachapi.
As we head into Friday, warm air moving in from the south will raise our snow levels to about 5,000 feet, and rain will mix in over the passes.
Exactly when that changeover happens, and how long it lasts, will have a huge impact on snow totals.
Friday afternoon is when heavy rain is likely to arrive in the Valley, which will last into Friday night.
Valley rain totals over an inch are possible with this storm, which means minor flooding will be possible.
Friday night is also when snow levels will drop again, meaning more heavy snow over the passes.
At this point I'm thinking an additional 4-8" over the Grapevine, and an additional 6-10" for Tehachapi.
That means closures will be likely again Friday night.
The mix of rain and snow at pass level makes it difficult to pin down exact snow totals, but the impacts on travel are clear.
It will be best to avoid travel through the mountains through Saturday.
Make alternate travel plans if possible.
In areas above 5,000 feet the forecast is more straightforward.
Those areas will see little to no rain, which means incredibly high snow totals, on the order of 2-3 feet are expected.
