No fooling: 12 inches at 7000 feet, more up top

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31 5:12 AM…Nothing like a late-season storm to get your juices flowing again. This one got off to a slow start but finished strong overnight, dumping about a foot of fresh powder at 7000 feet on the north side of the Tahoe Basin. Given the rain we saw earlier and the change in snow levels, we expect to see the resorts reporting 18 inches or more up top at 8000 feet. In fact Kirkwood this morning is claiming they have 20 to 24 inches of new snow since Monday.

It’s still snowing this morning in parts of Tahoe, and we should see scattered snow showers through much of today as the low pressure trough that brought this storm our way moves east and crosses the Sierra. Several inches of additional accumulations are possible, with the best chances being on the south side of Tahoe and further south toward Mammoth. Cold temperatures with this system — as much as 10 degrees to 15 degrees below normal — have brought snow levels down to 3000 feet or below.

Thursday should be dry, and Friday is forecast to bring us a glancing blow from a storm that will mostly miss us as it passes by to the north. More of the same on Saturday. The next direct hit is possible late Sunday into Monday, when a storm similar to this one has the potential to dump additional accumulations on Tahoe if it stays on track. The pattern looks to change back to a more typical Spring by next Tuesday, when a ridge of high pressure is forecast to rebuild and warm temperatures back to normal for this time of year.

Forecast Highs

Tahoe City

Wednesday 31
Thursday 34
Friday 31

At 7000 feet

Wednesday 23
Thursday 27
Friday 32

Regional radar with rain/snow mix:

Snow and wind: 1 to 2 feet possible above 7500 feet

TUESDAY, MARCH 30 4:52 AM…Rain turned to snow at 7,000 feet late Monday, leaving the first few inches of what should be a significant accumulation of snow today and tomorrow. It was snowing this morning in Truckee and Tahoe City as well. Snow levels should continue to drop through the day as the cold front moves through, down into the high foothills by this afternoon. We still have the potential for up to two feet of new snow above 7,500 feet by Wednesday.

This trough of low pressure is forecast to move across the Sierra late Tuesday and Wednesday. At times on Tuesday we could see some very heavy snowfall, up to two inches per hour. The winds with this storm will be extreme. Gusts of 100 mph are possible along the Crest, and sustained winds of 20 mph to 30 mph with gusts to 40 are forecast even at Lake level. Blowing snow will reduce visibility to almost zero at times. A winter storm warning remains in effect.

By Wednesday, the snow will be tapering to snow showers, and Thursday looks fair as the trough moves east and into the Great Basin. More unsettled weather lies ahead, however. A quick storm late Friday into Saturday clips us as it passes to the north. Another larger storm is possible late Sunday.

We will keep you posted as these storms arrive.

Forecast Highs

Tahoe City

Tuesday 34
Wednesday 31
Thursday 34

At 7000 feet

Tuesday 32
Wednesday 23
Thursday 27

Regional radar with rain/snow mix:

Winter storm, blizzard watches posted

MONDAY, MARCH 29 5:02 AM…As we head into the second full week of Spring, a winter storm watch has been posted for Tahoe. A major storm is headed our way and is expected to deposit a foot, possibly two feet of snow at the highest elevations of the Sierra by Wednesday.

The ridge of high pressure that gave us our weekend warm spell has moved east, opening the door to a trough of low pressure sagging down from the Gulf of Alaska. That low is creating a south to north pressure gradient that is bringing strong southerly winds to the Tahoe area ahead of the first in a series of storms.

Look for rain to start across the region by late today or tonight with snow levels between 7000 and 8000 feet. As this front moves in with full force Tuesday those snow levels should drop, first to Lake Level and then down into the high foothills, probably below 5,000 feet. By late Tuesday or early Wednesday we should have 5 to 10 inches of snow around the lake with up to two feet above 8,000 feet.

High winds that are expected to accompany the storm mean that blizzard conditions will be possible at the storm’s peak on Tuesday. Winds of 20 mph to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph at Lake Level are possible, and winds of 100 mph at the Sierra Crest are not out of the question. The Reno office of the NWS has issued a rare “blizzard watch” warning the public of this possibility.

Snow or at least snow showers are forecast to continue into Wednesday before we get a short break. Another shot of precipitation is possible Friday.

We will keep you posted as these storms arrive.

Forecast Highs

Tahoe City

Monday 54
Tuesday 43
Wednesday 46

At 7000 feet

Monday 45
Tuesday 32
Wednesday 25

Regional radar with rain/snow mix:

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