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Sierra Nevada To See Heavy Snow Ahead Of Christmas

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS / AP) -- Winter storm warnings were posted Monday in the Sierra Nevada after the National Weather Service predicted heavy mountain snow during the holiday week.

A storm moving into the northern Sierra was expected to drop more than an inch of snow an hour at times.

Forecasters said the system could dump as much as three feet of snow on the highest peaks through Tuesday night, with accumulation totals expected to be around a foot at Lake Tahoe.

• KPIX WeatherCenter: Current Conditions, Forecast, Maps

Elsewhere, rain, gusty winds and possibly floods were possible on a stretch of the Pacific coast from Mendocino to the Oregon border.

Some rain was expected along the Central Coast, while gusty winds could hit much of southwestern California.

Dozens of fender-benders and weather-related hazards were snarling traffic Monday In the San Francisco Bay Area. Showers were expected to continue into Tuesday in the area.

Surf was expected to grow, possibly bringing flooding in low-lying areas.

Wednesday should be dry, but forecasters said another storm system was expected to impact Northern California on Thursday.

© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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