Lake Tahoe weather: Are you ready for more snow and wind?
TRUCKEE, Calif. — After last week’s epic snowstorm dumped feet of snow and brought several power outages, avalanches and other dangers, Mother Nature gave the greater Tahoe-Truckee region a break this weekend with partly cloudy skies and no snow.
Enjoy it while it lasts.
More snow — perhaps again measured in feet — is in the forecast this week and weekend for the region.
According to the National Weather Service in Reno, multiple fast-moving systems will push across the region starting Wednesday of this week.
“The first impact will be increasing winds on Wednesday afternoon and evening,” according to a special weather statement Monday morning from NWS. “Wind gusts near 50 mph will be possible across the Sierra and far western Nevada, with higher readings along wind-prone locations and gusts over 100 mph over the Sierra crest.
Up to a foot of snowfall is possible in the Sierra, with light to moderate rainfall for western Nevada before snow levels fall to the valley floors by Thursday morning, according to NWS.
Although no significant flooding impacts are expected, rises on small creeks and streams are still possible.
“Subsequent quick-moving and colder systems are possible Friday and Saturday with the potential for a more potent system Sunday and Monday,” according to the statement. “Snow levels may start near western Nevada valley floors leading to more widespread travel impacts across both the Sierra and western Nevada. Those with travel plans during this time frame should continue to monitor the forecast over the upcoming week.”
While NWS is waiting on forecasting snowfall totals until later in the week, Snow Forecaster Bryan Allegretto of the Tahoe Daily Snow suggests the Tahoe region could see up to 5 or more feet of snow by early next week.
According to his Monday morning blog post, the region could see 6-16 inches of snow above 7,000 feet by Thursday afternoon; an extra 7-22 inches on the mountains by Saturday afternoon; and then an extra 1-2 feet at lake level and 2-3 feet on the mountains by Monday.
This week’s system comes on the heels not only of last week’s, but also a cold and snow system that struck the region during the first week of 2017, dumping more than 7 feet of snow in some locations across the region.
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