How much snow has fallen in Tahoe? Here are the totals so far — and what’s in the forecast

Jacqueline Pinedo
·2 min read

After a bout of rainy weather, snow is expected to fall over higher elevations in the central Sierra Nevada this week, according to the National Weather Service.

“There’s gonna be some periods of rain and high elevation snow through the weekend,” said Tyler Salas, National Weather Service meteorologist in Reno.

Most of the snowfall during this first round of the storm has been in the higher elevations at around 7,000 to 8,000 feet, Salas said, with rain making up most of the precipitation around Lake Tahoe.

“We are well below average so far to start the water year,” Salas said.

The water year started on Oct. 1 and will continue through Sept. 30, 2024, according to the California Department of Water Resources. During this 12-month period, hydrologic records are compiled for the state.

How much snow has fallen in Tahoe so far?

Here’s how much snow has fallen at ski and snowboarding resorts in Tahoe so far this season, as of Tuesday, according to their websites:

What are snowpack levels in Sierra Nevada?

The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, located at Donner Pass in the Sierra Nevada, reported no snowfall in the past 24 hours as of Tuesday.

The Donner Pass?area has actually “lost quite a bit of snow on the ground from the combination of warm temperatures and rain,” the lab posted Tuesday morning on X, formerly known as Twitter.

As of Tuesday, 52 stations in the Central Sierra had reported 35% of the average snowfall for that date, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

What’s in the weather forecast for Tahoe?

Rain and snow are forecast in Tahoe over the next five days, the National Weather Service said, with high temperatures in the 40s and lows ranging from 17 to 28 degrees.

Tuesday’s high is predicted to reach 43 degrees, according to the weather service forecast, while Wednesday will see a high of 41 degrees.

According to the five-day forecast, the snow level will be at 7,000 feet.

On Thursday, highs will reach 42 degrees Fahrenheit and “little or no snow accumulation is expected,” according to the forecast.

Friday is expected to be the warmest day on the mountain with temperatures climbing to 45 degrees.

Overnight temperatures will drop to 17 degrees, the coldest temperatures predicted for the five-day period.

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