Tahoe Weather Blog

You do not need me to tell you that we have a very strong ridge of high pressure setup right off the coast of California and it is bringing us very warm and sunny weather ... for now. We are starting to see signs of another wet pattern forming and effecting the Tahoe area starting about a week from today (3/20). The storm track is from the south and everything is going right around our ridge of high pressure. However, as that breaks down that storm track is going to go straight through Tahoe. Seeing how we will be in late March when the storms arrive, do not expect anything like what we saw in January. Having said that, our weather pattern will change, moisture will come our way and temperatures will drop. The storms will come in fairly dry on Monday, but by Tuesday at noon we are looking at this: These storms should continue to hit our area for 3-5 days (maybe more, too far out to call). However, I see some shadowing, which is often the case this time of year, so the Carson R

A very cold and fast moving system will drop out of the north and dump snow in the Sierra and leeward valleys of Nevada. This system will bring much cooler air and very strong winds. I expect about 36 hour period of light to moderate snowfall to fall on the Sierra and Carson Range. At the peak of the storm which will be Sunday morning here is a look: This is nothing like what we say in January and February. However, with the much cooler temps I do expect a hefty dumping of much lighter snow than we saw in those storms. Here is a look at the precip forecast: I think we could be talking about 18-36 inches by Monday for Mt. Rose, heavier amounts on the west side of the lake. This storm will quickly clear out and temps will rise into the 50's under high pressure by weeks end. Stay Tuned ...

This is a quick update to the forecast. This next storm's trajectory is now almost straight out of the north. That completely cuts off the moisture tap we have seen for the past couple of months. We no longer see any type of major precip event. In fact, we are now forecast 3-6 inches of snow for the Carson range Sunday night into early Monday morning. However, expect strong winds on Sunday ahead of the front and much colder air starting Monday, with a return to average temps by Thursday. Looking ahead, we see no major weather events for the next 10 days. Stay Tuned ...

As the cold front passed through last night, it severed the line of warm moist air to Tahoe. As a result, it looks now like we may receive an extended break, with the exception of a fast moving, much cooler storm that is on tap for this weekend. The original model runs showed a much better moisture tap. Now, this storm's trajectory is much more out of the north and I do not see a major weather event like what we have witnessed over the last couple of months. Once this storm moves out, high pressure will take over for at least 4-5 days. The storm will arrive Sunday afternoon and be gone by Monday at noon. Here is a quick look at the forecast for Sunday evening: This is a much cooler storm than we have seen in quite some time, so I look for higher snow ratios. In fact, I still see around 2 feet of very light powder for Mt. Rose on Monday. While the other side of the lake could see double that in some places particularly at the Sierra Crest. Here is what we are looking at i

Averages have a way of catching up. We have been saying that for years. Last year we shifted from an extremely dry pattern to an average winter. That trend told us, that those averages were going to start catching up, this year. That is why we predicted an above average snowfall year. We had no idea! This latest storm continues to pound Northern California and the Sierra. It will continue until Wednesday morning then we will have a short drying out. Here is a look at the current conditions: As this latest storm moves inland, it will give way to a drier period. That will last until Saturday afternoon when the next system moves in. That system can be clearly seen along with its path straight to California. Those two storms will eventually become one larger storm. Again, that storm will have a very large moisture tap. Here is a look at the forecast for next Saturday afternoon: Currently, the models are not showing another massive moisture event. However, the scales ha

The party gets going again around noon on Thursday. A massive storm which is centered well to our north will spin up at least 5 smaller storms and throw them right into the entire state of California, including Tahoe. Like we have seen for the last month and a half, these storms have plenty of subtropical moisture to work with.  Here is the forecast for Thursday at noon: As these storms tap into the subtropical moisture, they will come in warm. As they exit they will pull down cooler air ... until the next system arrives. So look for around 8,000 feet on this first storm, with snow levels coming down to around 5,500 feet as we get on the back side. Then, late Friday night, we have a split condition. The storm will split with the moisture tap partially broken for Tahoe, but on full display for Central and Southern California: The next storm shows up around Sunday at noon. This storm will pull more air from the north and less from the south, which means fa

The strongest winds of the season are heading our way. They will start up tonight and continue into the afternoon tomorrow. Ridge top winds will exceeed 150mph, while downslope winds for the leeward foothills could see gusts in excess of 100 mph. The next big wave of moisture will start up tomorrow afternoon and with it we will have falling snow levels. I expect Mt. Rose to pick up all snow starting tomorrow afternoon. I expect an additional 2-4 feet of snow by Friday evening. Here is a look at the forecast for tomorrow @ noon: By the time Saturday afternoon rolls around, we will be in the sunshine with above average temps through next Thursday. Then everything changes back! We are tracking several large storms that appear headed right at Tahoe. Here is a look at the forecast for the 16th of February: More impressive is the pattern that is setting up, with a massive storm to the north spinning off waves of smaller storms and sending them straight through Tahoe: The