Winter storm warning in Tahoe: High winds and snow start in Northern California mountains

Angela Rodriguez
·2 min read
4

Update: The National Weather Service updated the winter weather watch to a warning as snow began to fall in the Tahoe region Tuesday evening.

As an atmospheric river makes its way into California, gusty winds and heavy snow are in store for the Tahoe region.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning in effect from 10 a.m. Wednesday to 10 a.m. Friday.

Areas above 5,000 feet can expect around 1 to 2 feet of snow. Over higher mountain peaks, 3 feet of snow accumulation is expected, the weather service stated. The snow level will move down lower as the week progresses, down to 3,500 feet on Friday.

Forecasts continue to fluctuate as the storm develops.

Wind is also expected to sweep through Tahoe at around 45 mph and ridge gusts up to 100.

“Travel delays, snow covered roads, reduced visibility from gusty winds, chain controls & road closures will all be possible,” the service said.

It’s possible that two or more inches per hour could fall at times, the warning states.

How much snow has fallen in Tahoe so far?

Above a crystal clear view of Lake Tahoe, a snowboarder explores fresh powder Sunday at Heavenly Ski Resort. Researchers at the nearby UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab said it had received 25.6 inches of snow since Tuesday — 13.6 inches of which fell in the 24 hours ending 8 a.m. Sunday. The foothills east of Sacramento also received noticeable snow; areas east of Placerville recorded 2 to 3.5 inches in the same span. Forecasters say more snow is expected in the Sierra with rain in the Valley on Tuesday and Wednesday as another unsettled air mass moves across Northern California.

As of Tuesday, here’s how much snow has fallen at Tahoe’s snowboarding and ski resorts so far, according to its respective websites:

“Travel could be very difficult to impossible at times,” the warning states.

“Strong winds may blow down some tree limbs and a few power outages may result.”

What’s in the forecast for Tahoe?

According to the National Weather Service’s latest forecast, the Tahoe area will see new snow accumulation.

On Tuesday night, skies will be mostly cloudy and gusts will be around 20 miles per hour.

Wednesday’s forecast shows a 90% chance of precipitation for South Lake Tahoe, mainly after 4 p.m. with gusts of wind up to 35 mph. The high will be near 46 degrees and the low will be around 26. Up to 3 inches of snow is possible.

There will be mostly cloudy skies on Thursday with a 100% chance of precipitation. Up to 4 inches of snow accumulation is possible.

On Friday, there is an 80% chance of precipitation before 4 p.m. with a high near 32 and a low around 12. One to 2 inches of snow is possible.

Saturday will have a “chance of snow” with a high near 33 and a low around 14.

Sunday’s forecast shows mostly cloudy skies with a high near 35 and a low near 20.

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