Storm Warning Tonight: 1-2 feet of snow likely below 7,000’
Provided: Katy Jo Caringer
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — A winter storm warning is in effect from 11 p.m. today, March 11 until 11 p.m. on Thursday, March 13.
The storm will “bring widespread heavy snowfall to the Sierra, and strong gusty winds and rain/snow showers to lower elevations Wednesday through Thursday,” according to the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast.
The official NWS forecast expects that “for the Tahoe Basin, elevations below 7,000` will see between 8-24″ [of snow accumulation]. Above 7,000` can expect 2-3` [of snow accumulation], with locally higher amounts over the passes.”
National Weather Service forecaster Tony Fuentes summed up the storm, saying “it’s reasonable to expect about 1 foot of snow at lake level over the next few days, and somewhere around 2 to 3 feet of snow at the passes.”
Roads are currently open, though closures and chain controls are expected. Check conditions before traveling.
Resorts are expecting large impacts at higher elevations, with OpenSnow reporting a potential of 6 to 21 inches of snowfall for Heavenly and between 18 and 37 inches of snowfall for Kirkwood and Sierra-at-Tahoe.
With this snowfall does come concern over avalanches. The Sierra Avalanche Center is reporting “Moderate” avalanche danger today and “Considerable” avalanche danger in many areas tomorrow.
The National Weather Service is also expecting “impacts from heavy snow and gusty winds expected across all avalanche center terrain starting Wednesday and continuing through Thursday.”
These forecasts come as mounting concerns over funding to the National Weather Service play out at the federal level. Reporting from the Tahoe Daily Tribune and other outlets suggest both the Sierra Avalanche Center and the National Weather Service are bracing for impacts to their services in the near future.
Find the recent Tahoe Daily Tribune coverage of funding cuts to the Sierra Avalanche Center’s coming challenges in this Tahoe Daily Tribune story here: “Avalanche forecaster position threatened by federal cuts: ‘Puts lives at risk’“.
Anna Kristina Moseidjord is a reporter for the Tahoe Daily Tribune and Sierra Sun.
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