A potent storm plowing into California today is bringing a heavy round of rainand snow today into tonight. This storm will create treacherous travel throughsome of the mountain passes in the West this weekend.The Sierra Nevada will get the most from the storm with 1 to 2 feet likelythrough tonight in elevations above 7,000 feet. Travel will become extremelydangerous through the mountainous stretches of I-80 as a result. Gusty windsand blowing snow will add to travel hazards by dangerously reducing thevisibility.

Heavy snow will also fall over the mountains of Southern California, but snowlevels will be above the heavily traveled Tejon and Cajon passes.

The ski areas of Utah and Colorado will also get a substantial amount of freshsnow. Salt Lake City is expecting 2 or 3 inches from the storm, but Denver willget little, if anything.

An arctic cold front plunging south from western Canada will also drop snowover the northern Rockies.

Story By AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Meghan Evans.