Winter storm headed for Valley

March should start roaring in a couple of hours this morning as a new set of winter storms come rolling into Western Nevada.

A winter storm will arrive in Carson Valley today and remain through Monday night. Snow levels will drop from near 8,000 feet to 5,000 feet by Monday afternoon. The National Weather Service is predicting that higher elevations of the Sierra may get as much as 2 feet of snow, with a few inches along the shores of Lake Tahoe.

A high wind watch beginning at 4 p.m. today had been upgraded to a high wind warning.

Expect gusty south to southwest winds to develop lat this morning and increase during the afternoon. Southwest winds are expected to be 24-40 mph with gusts of up to 60 mph. Gusts of up to 75 mph are possible in wind-prone areas.

Forecasters say this storm is a prelude to a what could be a much larger one that appears to be headed this way. The storm appears to be headed for a position along the coast that would allow it to pick up moisture while cold air brought in from today's storm remains.

Snow levels could drop to the Valley floor, and travel would be difficult.