Expires:No;;621144 WWUS85 KPSR 272136 SPSPSR SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 236 PM MST MON DEC 27 2010 ...WINTER WEATHER MIX ON THE WAY LATER THIS WEEK... WINTER WEATHER WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA LATER THIS WEEK. A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO DROP SOUTH OVER ARIZONA BY WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL FORCE UNUSUALLY COLD AIR OVER THE REGION AND...COMBINED WITH MOISTURE BEING PULLED DOWN OFF THE PACIFIC COAST...WILL PROVIDE QUITE A MIX OF WINTER WEATHER. THE FIRST IMPACT WILL BE MEASURABLE RAIN BEGINNING WEDNESDAY MORNING. AMOUNTS WILL RANGE FROM A TENTH OF AN INCH IN SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHWEST ARIZONA UP TO ONE AND A QUARTER INCHES IN ELEVATED TERRAIN OF SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY. THE RAINFALL FORECAST FOR THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA IS IN THE RANGE OF ONE THIRD OF AN INCH UP TO TWO THIRDS OF AN INCH. BY THURSDAY EVENING COLD AIR WILL PLUNGE ACROSS THE REGION...DROPPING TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW NORMAL. THIS...COMBINED WITH THE CONTINUING RAIN EVENT...WILL LIKELY PRODUCE A RARE OCCURRENCE OF SNOW ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA. AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THAT AREAS AT OR ABOVE 2000 FOOT ELEVATION ARE LIKELY TO SEE SOME SNOW BUT WITH LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATION. HIGHER ELEVATION AREAS SUCH AS PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY MAY SEE UP TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE LOW 20S UP TO 30 DEGREES ACROSS MOST OF SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA FOR BOTH THURSDAY NIGHT AS WELL AS FRIDAY NIGHT. THUS THIS IS LIKELY TO BE A HARD FREEZE FOR MANY AREAS. PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PROTECT EXPOSED PETS AND PLANTS SUSCEPTIBLE TO FREEZING TEMPERATURES. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN WARMING BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER UPDATES AS WE GET CLOSER TO THIS WINTER EVENT. $$ WATERS