YOUR AD HERE »

Spring storm expected to bring several inches of snow

Griffin Rogers
griffin@tahoedailytribune.com

Hold on, spring. Winter’s not done yet.

After receiving up to an inch of snow on the Lake Tahoe’s West Shore Tuesday, weather forecasters are now predicting additional snowfall of up to 4 inches at lake level and 5 to 10 inches above 7,000 feet.

The fresh snow is expected to start falling later tonight at higher elevations, with snowfall continuing off and on through Friday evening. Snow levels will likely start between 7,000 feet and 7,500 feet and drop overnight to lake level.



“Spring systems are kind of trickier to forecast because we’re dealing with warmer ground and higher sun angles,” said Scott McGuire, forecaster for the National Weather Service.

A winter weather advisory has been issued in the area and will be in effect from 11 p.m. tonight to 11 p.m. Friday.



McGuire said the conditions could make for slick roadways. However, most roads should be clear of snow Friday morning when chilly overnight temperatures make way for warmer conditions.

Friday winds, on the other hand, are predicted to maintain speeds similar to today’s. They are expected to travel at 15 to 25 mph, with gusts moving up to 30 mph and ridge gusts reaching up to 70 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Another chance of snow exists after midnight Friday before Tahoe heads into a cloud-splotched weekend.

Kirkwood Mountain Resort, the last South Shore ski resort open, reported that it expects to finish the season with a “fantastic powder weekend,” spokesperson Kevin Cooper said.

“It’s going to make for a great skiing and riding surface,” he said of the snowfall.

Friday’s high temperatures are forecasted to hit 39 degrees in South Lake Tahoe with lows in the low 20s. The expectation is that temperatures will shoot up significantly over the weekend and reach highs in the low- to mid- 60s on Monday.

If predictions prove true, McGuire said Monday and Tuesday will be bright and sunny.

“Monday and Tuesday will be beautiful days,” he said.

The recent batch of wet weather won’t be enough to pull the region out of what experts are calling a severe to exceptional drought in most of Nevada and eastern California. However, McGuire said any little bit helps.

“It will definitely help with the water situation,” he said. “We’ll take whatever we can get at this point.”

The Climate Prediction Center has issued an El Niño watch as forecast models show signs of warming before a wet winter. But it’s still “a little too early to tell” whether or not the region will actually experience an El Niño, McGuire said.

“Things do look good that we will have some sort of El Niño,” he said, “it’s just to what magnitude we’re not sure of yet.”


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.