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Cold front, strong wind to hit Tahoe Sunday; Red Flag Warning in effect

Freezing temps, extreme fire risk and dangerous conditions on the lake, they all start Sunday afternoon at Tahoe.

The National Weather Service added a Lake Wind Advisory Saturday to its Red Flag Warning and a special statement about freezing temperatures over the next few days.

NWS officials say eastern winds are expected to hover around 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph that will make waves up to 2 to 4 feet and possibly up to 5 feet along the West Shore. The Lake Wind Advisory is in effect from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday. Officials are advising it might be time to consider removing docked boats from the water as the waves may cause damage or carry water into boats.



All small boats, kayaks, and paddle boards will be prone to capsizing and should remain off the water until conditions improve, officials said.

The Red Flag Warning remains in effect, unchanged, from 5 p.m. through 5 p.m. Monday.



Officials say the east to northeast winds will be consistently around 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 to 35 mph. Stronger wind is expected for higher elevations and up to 70 mph gusts will blow along the Sierra crest.

The humidity on Sunday will range from 15 to 25% dropping Monday to 8 to 15%. The combination of gusty winds and low humidity can cause a fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity before first responders can get containment.

Everyone should avoid outdoor activities that can cause a spark near dry vegetation, such as yard work, target shooting, or campfires.

If you need to get out there today and rake some leaves and pine needles before the wind brings down the next wave from the trees, bundle up because the high temperature is expected to stay below 50 and plummet as the sun goes down. The overnight temp is expected to be around 16.

A south wind will become east to northeast in the afternoon and tonight the wind gusts have the pine trees rocking.

There is no precipitation expected.

Monday will be mostly sunny with a high around 50 with strong wind throughout the day. The low overnight will be in the low 20s.

On Tuesday, Tahoe will see a break from the strong win and the high temperature will creep back into the low 60s before dropping into the low 20s overnight.

Now is the time to prepare for frigid temps by draining outdoor irrigation systems, covering exposed water pipes and moving sensitive livestock, pets and plants indoors.


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