West Weather Setup December 20 2010
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The weekend kicked off a very stormy period for the West Coast that will extend into Wednesday.

Up to 12 feet of snow has fallen in the Sierra, over 18 inches of rain in some locations, and winds well over 100 mph in the high country.

If you've planned that holiday ski trip to one of the resorts in the Sierra Nevada, rest assured there will be plenty of fresh powder. The biggest challenge may be traveling there.

Below is the stormy setup in place since this past weekend.

Low pressure in the northern Pacific Ocean is helping to direct a fire hose of moisture and jet stream energy into the West Coast.

The heaviest amounts of rain and mountain snow will likely focus on much of California, however the Pacific Northwest will also see soggy periods. The plume of moisture will also spill eastward into the Rockies, dumping heavy snow throughout the mountains.

Now that we've laid out the overall scenario, let's dig into the forecast.