MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0002
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   0605 PM CST THU JAN 01 2004
   
   AREAS AFFECTED...WASATCH  MOUNTAINS AND WYOMING RANGE
   
   CONCERNING...HEAVY SNOW AND NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS 
   
   VALID 020005Z - 020200Z
   
   SNOWFALL RATES OF 2 TO 4 INCHES PER HOUR ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE
   WESTERN SLOPES OF THE WASATCH MOUNTAINS AND WYOMING RANGE THROUGH AT
   LEAST 04Z. STRONG WLY WINDS OF 30 TO 50 MPH WILL ALSO RESULT IN
   BLIZZARD LIKE CONDITIONS.
   
   EXTREMELY MOIST WLY FLOW LOCATED AHEAD OF A STRONG
   SHORTWAVE...CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS ID...IS RESULTING IN STRONG
   OROGRAPHIC LIFT ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF NRN UT/SERN ID AND WRN WY.
   THE OROGRAPHIC LIFT IS BEING ACCENTUATED BY THE LARGE SCALE LIFT
   ASSOCIATED WITH THE APPROACHING SHORTWAVE TROUGH. ALSO...A COLD
   FRONT...EXTENDING FROM NEAR BOI TO OWY...IS MOVING EWD AT 50 KT AS
   STRONG PRESSURE RISES SPREAD IN FROM THE WEST. THE SNOW RATES ARE
   EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY THIS EVENING AS CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE
   FRONT MOVES INTO THE MOUNTAINS AREAS...ESPECIALLY BETWEEN 02 AND
   04Z.
   
   AFTER THE FRONT PASSES THROUGH THE AREA...THE SNOW RATES MAY
   DECREASE SOMEWHAT AS THE DYNAMICAL LIFT WEAKENS. HOWEVER...STRONG
   OROGRAPHIC FLOW SHOULD MAINTAIN SNOW THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT.
   
   ..IMY.. 01/02/2004
   
   
   ATTN...WFO...RIW...TFX...SLC...PIH...
   
   44511216 44881106 43481015 41751064 40301074 39871176
   40901187 42441218 43661255