6. Wind? The forecast calls for 15 to 30 mph winds on Wednesday night and early Thursday in most Bay Area locales, gusting to 40 mph on the coast and 50 mph over higher terrain. Gusts over Sierra Nevada ridges could top 100 mph.

7. Will all that snow help build up our meager snowpack? Yes. But bear in mind that going into this week, the statewide mountain snowpack was near its lowest level ever -- less than 20 percent of the average snow-water equivalent for late February. The cold, relatively dry storm that dropped more than a foot of snow on some locations earlier this week improved things a little, moving the snow-water equivalent up to 23 percent of average. If the incoming storm is as wet as expected, dropping the equivalent of 5 to 6 inches of water over the Sierra crest, the snowpack could be between 40 and 50 percent by the beginning of next week.

8. Travel impacts? We'll see enough rain around the Bay Area to create the usual problems with ponding and standing water on roadways. The standard advice is to slow down -- but we're not holding our breath that most of us will actually do that. Traveling in the mountains will be another matter. Winter storm warnings are in place for virtually all mountain areas in the northern two-thirds of the state. The National Weather Service office in Sacramento puts it succinctly: "Travel over the mountains is highly discouraged, as conditions will be extremely hazardous." That advisory holds for the duration of the warning period, which in many locations will last through Saturday night.