The National Weather Service has issued a special severe weather statement for Southern Oregon and Northern California, forecasting a weeklong series of storms that will start hitting the coast tonight.

Readers can find the latest forecasts from both the National Weather Service and AccuWeather at www.CurryPilot.com/weather and the current conditions at the Pilot's downtown weather station can be seen at weatherstation.currypilot.com

Tonight's storm will be "moderately strong" with rain and, at high elevations, snow. Gusts of 35 to 55 mph are expected Saturday morning, and continuing all day -- with heavy rain forecast for Saturday afternoon.

The full text of the current weather warning is:

 
 SERIES OF FRONTS WILL IMPACT SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA FROM TONIGHT THROUGH NEXT WEEK.
THE FIRST OF THESE FRONTS WILL BE MODERATELY STRONG. RAIN AND HIGH
ELEVATION SNOW WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF IT TONIGHT WITH THE SNOW
LEVEL NEAR 5500 TO 6000 FEET...WHICH IS ABOVE THE MAJOR PASSES.
SOUTH WINDS WILL INCREASE AND PRECIPITATION WILL BECOME MODERATE
TO HEAVY AT TIMES ON SATURDAY AS THE FRONT MOVES INLAND. WIND
GUSTS OF 35 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED AT THE COAST, OVER THE MOUNTAIN
RIDGES, IN THE SHASTA VALLEY AND IN THE VICINITY OF SUMMER LAKE IN
LAKE COUNTY. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR AT THE COAST SATURDAY
MORNING BUT DURING SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING INLAND. RAINFALL
WILL BE HEAVIEST IN CURRY COUNTY SATURDAY AFTERNOON WITH 1 TO 3
INCHES POSSIBLE IN JUST THOSE SIX HOURS.
A FEW LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE DOWN TO 4000 FEET LATE SATURDAY
NIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. SOUTH WINDS WILL BE INCREASING
AGAIN ON SUNDAY WITH GUSTY WINDS AND RAIN AT THE COAST.
OTHERWISE...IT WILL BE A GOOD DAY FOR TRAVEL AS THERE WILL BE A
BRIEF BREAK BEFORE THE NEXT STRONG FRONT APPROACHES.
THE NEXT FEW SYSTEMS WILL BE WINDIER AND WETTER AND COULD BRING
HIGH WINDS AND HIGH SURF TO THE COAST SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY.
SOUTH WINDS MAY GUST AT 55 TO 75 MPH ALONG THE COAST...OVER THE
HIGHER MOUNTAINS...AND ACROSS THE EAST SIDE. SEVERAL INCHES OF
ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ALONG AND NEAR THE COAST IS LIKELY TO RESULT
IN APPRECIABLE RISES AND POSSIBLE FLOODING ON CREEKS...STREAMS...AND
RIVERS.
SNOW LEVELS WILL SURGE UPWARD TO 6000 TO 7000 FEET EARLY NEXT
WEEK...BUT THEN WILL LOWER THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK AND MAY
DROP TO 3500 TO 4500 FEET WITH A WEAKER SYSTEM ON THANKSGIVING.
STAY TUNED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR FURTHER DETAILS AS
WE HEAD INTO THE WEEKEND AND THROUGH NEXT WEEK AS THIS ACTIVE
WEATHER PATTERN EVOLVES.