'Significant Storm' With High Winds, Heavy Snow Expected For Western US

A "significant winter storm" is expected to hit the Western region of the United States in the coming days, according to the National Weather Service (h/t NBC News).

"A significant storm will bring high winds and heavy precipitation, including mountain snow, to portions of the western U.S. this weekend," the National Weather Service announced in a tweet shared on its verified account Saturday (December 10). "Extremely dangerous travel is expected through passes. Confidence is increasing that this storm will then impact the central U.S. next week."

The Sierra Nevada region is expected to get more than 5 feet of snow, which will result in "extremely dangerous travel, especially across mountain passes," the agency said.

A backcountry avalanche watch was activated by the U.S. Forest Service for the central Sierra region on Friday (December 9) and a warning was issued for higher avalanche danger on Saturday into Sunday (December 11).

“A winter storm with gale force winds, high intensity snowfall and feet of new snow accumulation may result in widespread avalanche activity in the mountains,” the Forest Service Sierra Avalanche Center said Friday.

“Triggering avalanches would be easy on steep slopes in exposed and sheltered areas where new snow rests on top of weak snow or where wind-drifted snow exists near ridges,” it added.