Snow showers possible this weekend

FRIDAY DECEMBER 31…

New Years Weekend looks to be an unsettled one for the Tahoe Basin’s weather.

A low pressure system that’s been cut off from the jet stream is drifting down the Pacific Coast this morning and will likely meander about for several days, bringing intermittent rain to California’s coast and central valley and a chance of light snow to the mountains. Temperatures will begin to warm this weekend but will remain below normal through Sunday.

This kind of system is notoriously difficult to track and predict because it is not riding the jet stream and will have a mind of its own. The amount of snow it brings to Tahoe will depend on how close to the coast it tracks and where it finally turns inland. As of now it looks like its reach will extend to the Sierra foothills and maybe the crest by Saturday morning. But it is not likely to deposit much snow. Then we will likely have snow showers off and on through at least Monday. More of a nuisance than anything, although if the system comes far enough east all of these showers might amount to something by the time they are done.

Once this system moves inland it looks like we will have at least a day or two of fair weather in the middle of next week, and possibly more as a ridge of high pressure sets up over the west and keeps approaching storms from reaching the Tahoe Basin.

Stay tuned for updates as conditions change.

Forecast Highs

Tahoe City

Friday 27
Saturday 31
Sunday 29

At 7000 feet

Friday 20
Saturday 20
Sunday 27

Regional radar with rain/snow mix:
9

Cold today and Friday, warmer this weekend

THURSDAY DECEMBER 30…6:15 am

Cold temperatures will be the story over the next couple of days around the Tahoe Basin.

This morning’s lows have dipped into the single digits at 7000 feet, and a few locations around Truckee have reported sub-zero temperatures overnight. Highs today will be in the 20s today across most of the region, and may not break through the teens at the mountain passes. Friday could be even colder as clearing skies remove the last bit of thermal insulation.

By New Years Day we should begin to see a warming trend, with a slight chance of snow. Two low pressure systems are forecast to unmoor from the jet stream and drift down the California coast over the weekend and early next week. As they do, they will spin light precipitation over California and the Sierra but not much of this will reach Tahoe. Whether we get nothing, some light showers or a bit more will depend on whether the low pressure systems track along the coast or drift out into the Pacific, and the point at which they turn inland. Under none of those scenarios are we looking at a sustained, heavy storm, however.

The next chance for that is not until at least the middle of next week.

Stay tuned for updates as conditions change.

Forecast Highs

Tahoe City

Thursday 25
Friday 27
Saturday 27

At 7000 feet

Thursday 20
Friday 20
Saturday 20

Regional radar with rain/snow mix:
9

Two feet and still dumping

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 29…6:30 am

A strong winter storm packing a double punch of warm Pacific moisture and cold arctic air dumped about two feet of fresh snow on the Tahoe region at 7000 feet Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, and it was still snowing at 6:22 a.m. Area resorts are likely to be reporting two to three feet of new snow at the top by the time this one winds down later today.

The first of two back to back cold fronts is already moving south and east of Tahoe, and the second one, currently moving through Oregon, will plunge our temperatures down into the teens tonight and into Thursday. Most of the precipitation from that secondary front will likely fall north of Tahoe but we could see continued snow showers into Thursday morning, especially in the north.

Friday looks fair, and the weekend weather is likely to be unsettled, with a low pressure system meandering off or near the California coast. Our weather will depend on that system’s exact track. If it floats too far west, its moisture won’t reach us. If it track down the coast, it might be big enough to bring us some light snow Saturday or Sunday.

Stay tuned for updates as conditions change.

Forecast Highs

Tahoe City

Wednesday 30
Thursday 22
Friday 18

At 7000 feet

Wednesday 25
Thursday 13
Friday 18

Regional radar with rain/snow mix:
9

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