Tahoe Weather Blog

There is a large storm that will hit the Tahoe area and bring back memories of December for at least 36 hours. Looking ahead, we are going to be in a very stormy pattern with below average temperatures through next week ... at least. First things first, starting Thursday night a large storm (for this time of year) will begin to approach Tahoe and bring with it very gusty winds. The brunt of the storm will hit late Friday afternoon. Here is the forecast for around 4:00 no Friday: As with many storms this time of year, this storm will work its way south down the Sierra and bring at least double the precip to the Sierra compared with the Carson Range. But fear not, a series of short wave sliders will continue to bring in waves of cool air. These storms tend to work their way down the Carson Range and bring more precip to the Eastern Sierra and Carson Range. They also bring plenty of cold air as our dominant weather pattern will be from the north. The storm for Friday/Saturday w

A strong moisture starved low pressure system will fall out of the north and put the chill in our weather starting late tomorrow. This storm packs more cold air than anything else. It will bring little if any precip to the Carson Range (1-3 inches), more is possible for the Western Crest (3-6 inches). From a wind standpoint, this storm is relatively tame. I suspect the lifts at Rose will spin most of the day tomorrow and all day on Thursday. Although the temps will be significantly colder. Here is a look as the storm rapidly approaches out of the north very late tomorrow night: This storm will dive south after making landfall and break up for the most part. Most of the strong winds will be late Wednesday and very early on Thursday. Winds will die most of the day on Thursday but will be out of the north and cold! High pressure takes over starting Friday and by Sunday we will be well above average, perhaps mid-70's for the leeward valleys. This high pressure system will stic

Winter is going to make a comeback over the next 7-12 days at least. A small storm is coming in from the south and will actually deliver some much needed rainfall for Southern California. Although, I do not see a major rain event, they will take what they can get. That southern storm will work its way north into the Tahoe area and produce rain and upper elevation snow. Then, a larger storm will drop down out of the north and remind you of January around the middle of next week. This storm will bring beneficial rains to Northern California and snow to the Western Crest of the Sierra. Interestingly enough, the models are not in agreement here. The GFS is more bullish on both storms producing precip for California. The EC is has lighter amounts and later timing, but believes the Carson Range and the leeward valleys will join in on the party. I usually side with the EC as it has been the more reliable model. Let's start with the GFS for late on Friday: This storm is centered

The weather models are moving our slider slightly further west on its trajectory to Tahoe. That could bode well for more moisture for the storm to work with. I was not bullish on this storm yesterday. Today I am a little more optimistic. The storm comes in tonight and will stick around through Tuesday. The impact of this storm will be felt on the eastern side of the Sierra Crest and the Carson Range. Perhaps the biggest impact is the cold front that is coming with this storm. Temperatures will be much colder through most of the week. Nobody is trying to predict snowfall amounts. I am going with 6-18 inches for the Carson Range by Tuesday night. Slightly more for the eastern side of the Sierra Crest. Here is a look at the Precip forecast by the EC weather model: Dry weather follows through the week. Stay Tuned ...

The timing has changed since our last post. We are now looking at a minor event for Tahoe late on Monday night. I believe there is a possibility for 4-8 inches of snow at Rose. Northern California will pick up another nice dose of rain. However, this system is small and weak. Looking ahead, our persistent ridge if high pressure moves in and begins to dominate our weather for at least the next week. Here is a look at the precip forecast for this next storm: As you can clearly see, some beneficial rains for Northern California.The Carson range could get up to an inch of the liquid precip, which could translate into around 8 inches of snow. It is going to get windy as the storm moves through, but I think the lifts will spin Monday morning and Tuesday morning as the timing of the storm and winds appears to be late Monday into very early on Tuesday. Winds will pick up all day Monday as the storm approaches and then die down as the cold front moves through. Stay Tuned ...

The EC and GFS weather models have a small storm on tap for late Sunday. This will usher in cooler air. I doubt there will be any effect on the Carson Range as the later we get in the year, the weaker the storms become. The EC is more bullish on this storm. Here is a look at the forecast for late Sunday afternoon: If this holds together, we could get come spill over the crest, but I am not pinning my hopes on it. After this storm moves through, high pressure will dominate for at least the next week. Stay Tuned...

As storms continue to move into Northern California, they slide south, not generating enough energy to make it over the Sierra. Our two best chances for snow come Sunday morning around 10:00 am and then very late on Sunday night through Monday morning. I would say the storm tomorrow morning has the best trajectory to make it over the Sierra and have an impact on the Carson Range. Just for comparison sake, the GFS does not see any wave coming late Sunday night into Monday, while the ECMWF model has the following for Monday at around 4:00am pst: When we have this divergence in the models what usually happens is something in between. In that case look for light snow Sunday night through the morning on Monday. All models have things drying out for at least the next 7 days and then we may be entering another storm cycle. Stay Tuned ...