California's Sierra Nevada mountains are warned to brace for up to TWELVE FEET of snow as snow storm brings 120mph winds and extreme blizzard conditions

A powerful blizzard is set to strike California on Thursday as residents are being warned to brace for 12 feet of snow and 120 mile-per-hour winds. 

The storm heading toward the West Coast will shower low-elevation areas with rain and coat the Northwest and northern Rockies with blankets of snow.

More severe impacts will be seen in California's Sierra Nevada mountains - which are set to face blizzard conditions. 

The looming snowstorm will be the strongest of its kind since this time last year, when a siege of storms hit the Sierra's in late February and early March. 

Areas in the northern and central Sierra have received blizzard warnings from Thursday morning to Sunday morning, according to the Weather Channel.

A powerful blizzard is set to strike California on Thursday as residents are being warned to brace for 12 feet of snow and 120 mile-per-hour winds

The storm heading toward the West Coast will shower low-elevation areas with rain and coat the Northwest and northern Rockies with blankets of snow

'A MAJOR winter storm will bring EXTREMELY HEAVY mountain snow Thursday-Weekend,' National Weather Service Sacramento warned in a post on X.

'Multiple FEET of snow are forecast with whiteout conditions and road closures likely. Heaviest snow above 3000 ft. Take advantage of the dry conditions today and tomorrow to prepare!'

'Even by Sierra standards, this is shaping up to be a highly impactful, major winter storm,' the National Weather Service office in Reno said. 

'If these snow totals hold, this will easily be the biggest storm of the season.'

There is a possibility of one to three feet of snow for communities along Highway 395 in Mono County.

Mammoth Lakes and June Lakes could see nearly four feet of snow, with places like South Lake Tahoe Incline Village and Tahoe City likely to see at least three feet. 

Meanwhile, winds on the West Coast mountain range 'could easily exceed 120 mph,' and 'could lead to blizzard conditions with near-zero visibility at times.' 

Los Angeles County unsurprisingly will not see snow, but there is a slight chance of showers falling down on Friday, and more-likely rainfall on Saturday and Sunday.

The peak of the storm is set to wreak havoc upon the region on Friday, with heavy winds and heavy Sierra and Siskiyou snow.

On Saturday, moderate to heavy snow and strong winds are expected to continue plowing through the area while colder air spilling in could lead to accumulations falling as low as 1,000 feet elevation, the Weather Channel predicts. 

More severe impacts will be seen in California's Sierra Nevada mountains - which are set to face blizzard conditions

The looming snowstorm will be the strongest of its kind since this time last year, when a siege of storms hit the Sierra's in late February and early March

The extreme conditions will teeter off on Sunday - but snow showers as low as 1,000 feet elevation remain possible in the morning. 

Earlier this year, parts of Nevada and Southern California were hit with a snow storm that brought eight inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

Despite the January snowfall and the upcoming storms, California has gotten less snow than usual this winter, which is impacting the Sierra Nevada in Northern California.

The limited winter weather could spell trouble for a state that relies on melted snow pack for a significant portion of its water supply.

The California Department of Water Resources reported Tuesday that the whole of the Golden State has an average snowpack just about 25 percent of its annual average.

Los Angeles County unsurprisingly will not see snow, but there is a slight chance of showers falling down on Friday, and more-likely rainfall on Saturday and Sunday

Winds on the West Coast mountain range 'could easily exceed 120 mph,' and 'could lead to blizzard conditions with near-zero visibility at times'

However, despite the potentially alarming lack of snow in some parts of California, state officials have also told Californians to brace for potential 'climate whiplash,' a phenomenon that includes potentially dangerous flooding after months of drought.

Last winter, California experienced record high amounts of snow, enough to take major swaths of the state out of what had been a long drought. The state's snowpack catapulted to 237 percent higher than the yearly average.

Last year's storms saw more than 100,000 homes go without power while record cold temperatures caused the National Weather Service to issue freeze and frost warnings in the San Francisco Bay Area and elsewhere.