Tahoe Weather Blog

 The Davis Fire, is currently at 31% containment. It jumped Mt. Rose Highway but that was quickly extinguished. However, winds are about to pick up. That is the bad news. The good news is they will die down this evening. We are looking at 25Kt winds for this afternoon and through most of the evening. Then the winds are forecast to calm by 11pm. Here is the the forecast for this afternoon and evening: As you can clearly see, winds will be coming from the west to southwest.  However, the models are pretty clear that the winds will calm as we move into later tonight. Here is the wind forecast for 11pm: Winds should calm down considerably. The European model has much lighter winds. We are expecting winds in the 20kt range with gusts to 35kts through about 6:00. Then they will begin to die down. This is not what was forecast elsewhere, but I am not sure what models they are looking at. I am not a fire expert, but I do NOT expect the gloom and doom that was presented in last nights ...

What a beautiful run of spring weather! Don't get used to it. It is coming to a screeching halt on Friday. We see a pretty major pattern change that will bring the possibility of a few strong storms to the Sierra and even over to the Carson Range. One thing for sure, your upper 70's (in the valley) will be replaced with upper 50's with lots of wind. Here is a look at the forecast for Thursday. That trough of low pressure is going to change everything. Behind it is a significant cold front that will bring our temperatures down below average for at least the next few weeks. It will open the door for more storms that have some potential to bring in a late season Sierra Snow Storm. We will really feel the pinch next week around Tuesday. Notice the cold air (light blue line) heading to our area. That is typical of what we may see in January. Finally, as the storm door stays open and our weather is dominated by air from the north: This system could usher in a major storm. That st...

 Enjoy the warm, sunny weather. It is not going to last. We have been talking about a cold front which will make it's way to our area starting later on the 4th. With that cold front we are talking about some precipitation as well.  Temperatures should bounce back around the 9th of the month and go above average again. I would probably wait on turning on your irrigation until at least then. Here is a look at the forecast for Thursday evening (4/4): This will be our best chance for precipitation and we will see at least a few flakes all the way down to the valley floor as the cold front moves through on Thursday night and Friday. By the 11th of April, our temperatures should be back above average. As we move later in the season, our storms will be weaker. However, Ma Nature always spins up a surprise when we least expect it. As far as seasonal averages are concerned, we are now above average in precipitation for our 2nd straight year. Of course 3 years ago we were slightly below...

Sorry about the delay, had to take a little time off. We have a storm that will have a significant impact on the area. The storm will approach Tahoe on Wednesday evening: The storm will send several waves of moisture. Then take a break on Thursday (3/28). It will then regroup and bring more precip to the are on Friday: Here is the precip forecast for this week: The Western Sierra crest will pick up nearly 5 feet of snow. The Carson Range will be in the 1-3 feet range. Temperatures will remain below seasonal averages for this time of year. They will recover this weekend and to near average or even above average. However, we are tracking a strong cold front moving down into our area around the 4th of April, that will bring our temperatures back to well below seasonal averages. Stay Tuned ...

We are seeing zero storms in the near future. A very weak system will move through tomorrow but produce no significant precip on this side of the Lake Tahoe. We are looking at temps in the upper 60's for later in the week. High pressure moves in and we will be dry for at least the next 2 weeks.

As is often the case, when we get walloped by a big storm, it changes the entire pattern. The ECMWF weather model says 1 more day then light snow through Wednesday then a general drying trend. Temperatures will recover to the lower 50's but for the most part stay below average for this time of year. The GFS weather model does have a stronger system for Tuesday and then another system for a week from Monday. For now we will stick with the European model. Here is a look at the middle of next week as a blocking ridge of high pressure is going to move in and send any storms to the north for a while. That should give the resorts time to dig out. Stay Tuned ...

The NWS has issued a blizzard warning for the leeward valleys of Northern Nevada. These guys are professionals and are very good at what they do. In addition, we are looking at the possibility of over 10 feet of snow for the Sierra, including the Carson range. Our forecast is mountain snow through March 15th on most days! We could see an additional 10-15 feet of snow on Mt. Rose by the middle of March. Here is some timing: Thursday Night 2/29 The storm approaches and begins to slam the West side of Lake Tahoe. Even the leading edge of this storm is cold, we see initial snow levels below Lake Tahoe, which is great news for all resorts. Friday Late Afternoon 3/1 The storm stalls and gathers steam. This portion of the storm will deliver very significant snowfall over the Sierra. Snow begins in the Leeward valleys after starting with rain. Saturday Night 3/2 The storm remains stalled. Notice how the cold air meets the warm air right over Lake Tahoe. What a party this will be! Sunday Evenin...