BREAKING: 1-30-14 Snow Storm named "MAXIMUS" to hit Sierras/Rockies and then move to Midwest for more misery

Drought-plagued California will get about a foot of much needed snow pack in the Sierras and the Rocky Mountains. The storm named "Maximus" will then make its way eastbound to bring rain, sleet, ice and snow for the already-suffering Midwest part of the United States.

[link to www.wunderground.com]

(excerpt from article above):

Winter Storm Maximus, the 13th named storm of the winter season in the U.S., will help to build snowpack in many drought-suffering locations of the West, and delight skiers and snowboarders in the Rockies.

If that's not enough, Winter Storm Maximus will also produce a messy swath of snow, sleet and freezing through the Plains, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and interior Northeast.

Here are the forecast details, starting with the West.

Snowpack Building = Reservoir Help

Winter Storm Maximus will produce the lion's share of its snow in the Rockies through Friday.

Additional snow amounts over one foot are likely in the Colorado high country, as you can see at right in our forecast snowfall map.

Snowfall in excess of one foot is also expected in the snow-thirsty Sierra of California, which is welcomed news for concerns about California reservoir levels heavily dependent on spring snowmelt from the Sierra and other nearby ranges. As of January 29, snow water content in the Sierra was only 11-20 percent of average for this time of year.

Additional significant snow is expected in the Cascades, Bitterroots, Tetons and Wasatch ranges. This is also welcomed news, as snow water content was below average in the Cascades (24-70 percent of average) and Wasatch (60-75 percent of average).

This isn't just a mountain event either. Significant snow accumulations over six inches are also expected along parts of the High Plains of Montana, southern Wyoming, northeast Colorado and the Panhandle of western Nebraska, including Denver and Cheyenne, Wyo, as well as the Salt Lake Valley.

Maximus isn't just a western concern, however.