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Pacific system to sweep west, bringing heavy snow, soaking rain and strong winds to California, Rockies

Wind alerts have been issued across most of the Great Basin, including portions of Nevada, western Utah and California, with gusts expected to reach up to 60 mph.

By Kevin Fitzgerald
Source FOX Weather

Heavy snow, soaking rain and strong winds to slam California, the Rockies

A Pacific system is moving over the Golden State, bringing coastal rain, storms and mountain snow as it pushes across the region. Areas across California are under Winter Storm Warnings, with additional areas in Nevada and Utah under wind alerts. FOX Weather Meteorologists Marissa Torres and Stephen Morgan have all the latest: 

A Pacific storm system is bringing coastal rain, storms and mountain snow as it pushes across the Great Basin and Intermountain West.

Widespread low-elevation rain and heavy mountain snow are expected as moisture streams in off the Pacific, with the heaviest snow accumulations focused across the higher terrain of the Sierra Nevada and Northern Rockies.

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CALIFORNIA, USA - FEBRUARY 16: Women cross the street in Beverly Hills during heavy rain in Los Angeles, California, United States on February 16, 2026.  ((Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images))

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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 4: Cars commute on Golden Gate Bridge during heavy rain in San Francisco as an atmospheric river hits Northern California on February 4, 2025. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu)

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PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 16: Motorists drive through rainfall as a storm delivers heavy rain to the region on February 16, 2026 in Pasadena, California.  ((Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images))

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 06: Vehicles travel toward downtown as rain continues to fall during the morning commute as a powerful long-duration atmospheric river storm, the second in less than a week, continues to impact Southern California on February 6, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Over seven inches of rain have fallen in downtown Los Angeles during the storm, half the average yearly total. The storm has delivered widespread flooding, landslides and power outages while dropping heavy rain and snow across the region. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) ( )

While the initial passage may feature scattered activity, a secondary wave is expected to increase rain coverage across northern and central California into early Tuesday. This will result in persistent cloud cover and some travel impacts near high mountain passes where snow levels will begin to drop.

A worker carries a snow shovel as snow falls north of Lake Tahoe during a powerful multiple day winter storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 02, 2024 in Truckee, California. (Mario Tama / FOX Weather)

Throughout Wednesday, an additional 1-2+ inches of rain is possible from Redding, California down into the central foothills of the Sierra. 

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Wind alerts have been issued across most of the Great Basin, including portions of Nevada, western Utah and California, with gusts expected to reach up to 60 mph. These alerts are in place through Tuesday.

In the higher terrain, Winter Storm Warnings are in place with heavy snow expected above 7,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada. Snow totals through Wednesday will be over 1-2 feet in the higher terrain. 

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The same storm will push into the northern High Plains and northern Rockies by Wednesday and Thursday and will continue to strengthen. This will result in a period of high winds across much of the northern Plains, with gusts likely exceeding 50-60 mph as the pressure gradient tightens.

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On the backside of this system, snow is expected to develop across the higher elevations of the northern Rockies and extend into portions of the northern Plains where cold air gets pulled into the circulation. Some heavy snow showers could possibly reach into the lower elevations of the Dakotas by Thursday night.