Update: Most chain controls lifted at Lake Tahoe
Bill Rozak/Tahoe Daily Tribune
Update: 2 p.m.: Most chain controls around Lake Tahoe have been lifted.
According to NVRoads.com, chains are required on all vehicles except 4-wheel drives with snow tires from the “Y” in South Lake Tahoe on U.S. Highway 50 and over Luther Pass on California State Route 89.
Chains are also required on all vehicles except 4-wheel drives with snow tires on SR-88 from Pickett’s Junction to Kirkwood.
Original post
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Roads remain slick and the temperatures cold at Lake Tahoe as light snow continued to fall overnight and flurries could linger through the morning on Thursday.
Chain controls are in effect all around the lake including over every mountain pass to leave, or enter, the basin. The icy roads will lead to hazardous conditions for the morning work commute.
“The snow showers will end with cold and dry weather prevailing later today,” the National Weather Service in Reno said Thursday. “Bands of lake-effect snow have also been coming off Tahoe into Douglas County and the concern is for untreated roads/overpasses that initially are wet then becoming icy through this morning’s commute due to sub-freezing temperatures after the showers end.
“After a couple days of dry and milder conditions, another chance of showers returns Saturday with a stronger and colder storm possible for Sunday night through early next week,” the service added.
Chains or snow tires are not required in South Lake Tahoe and Meyers, or on Nevada State Route 28 from U.S. Highway 50 all around the North Shore to Tahoe City.
The rest of the roads in the basin have some sort of chain controls.
On California State Route 89 chains or snow tires are required from Markleeville to Woodfords. From Camp Richardson through Emerald Bay chains are required on all vehicles except 4-wheel drives with snow tires. The restrictions ease past Emerald Bay to Tahoe City to just chains or snow tires required.
On US 50, chains are required on all vehicles except 4-wheel drives with snow tires from Meyers over Echo Summit to Twin Bridges and also from Stateline over Spooner Summit into Carson City.
On SR-88, chains are required on all vehicles except 4-wheel drives with snow tires from 3.5 mile east of Silver Lake to 5 miles west of Pickett’s Junction.
On Interstate 80, chains are required on all vehicles except 4-wheel drives with snow tires from the California/Nevada line through Truckee and over Donner Summit.
On SR-267 from Tahoe Vista to Northstar chains are required on all vehicles except 4-wheel drives with snow tires and ease to chains or snow tires into Truckee.
Chains are required on all vehicles except 4-wheel drives with snow tires from Tahoe City to Olympic Valley.
The storm will move out Thursday where the high temperature will struggle to reach 40.
South Lake Tahoe set a record for the lowest high temperature for the date on Wednesday, Nov. 2, where the thermometer barely got over freezing (33), according to weather service data.
The overnight low Thursday will dip into the teens.
Friday will be mostly sunny with a high near 55 leading into the weekend where rain and snow showers return to the forecast into next week.
Winds will be calm up to 10 mph through Friday.
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
Readers around the Lake Tahoe Basin and beyond make the Tahoe Tribune's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.
Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.
Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.
