CALIFORNIA - I am not going to lie—as much as California needs to build up its snow pack as an essential natural water reservoir for the state, I also can’t help but feel a sigh of relief and tinge of joy for a few more feet of fresh powder to carve my snowboard through this winter. Mother Nature has been finicky these past years, so I will take all the rain and snow we can get—for land, crops...and sport, of course.

As we move into the deeper parts of the season, the National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning in the Sierra Nevada region from Yosemite to Kings Canyon and Tulare County Mountains.

The warning remains in effect from 4 p.m. PST today (January, 16th) till 10 p.m. PST on Thursday with heavy snow above elevations of 7,000 feet—and rain throughout the state as well.

The service adds that total snow accumulations of up to four feet are expected. With winds gusting as high as 85 mph and with storms like this in general, it is never all fun and games as we have experienced power outages, downed trees, devastating mudslides and floods, and more.

According to AccuWeather, Los Angeles received over 1.75 inches of rain on Monday and Tuesday, and San Diego picked up just over 0.55 of an inch of rain. The Los Angeles basin could potentially receive between two and four more inches of rain starting tonight and lasting through Thursday night, so we may be looking at a total of up to five or more inches. Areas north of L.A. could get four to eight inches.

In addition, areas around Paradise in Northern California could receive more than eight inches of rain. With the region hard hit by the wildfires, we keep everyone in our thoughts.

So, please be safe out there on the roads and in your homes, Californians!