Active weather pattern heading toward Lake Tahoe and the Sierra

After a month of temperatures close to record breaking and very little precipitation, South Lake Tahoe will see a series of storms heading to the Sierra starting Thursday, March 3.

The active weather pattern actually begins this weekend as a series of moderate to strong atmospheric river type storms impact the Sierra this weekend and into next week, according to the National Weather Service.

There is a 30 percent chance of rain on Thursday and Thursday evening which would be mostly in the form of rain due to a high of 52 degrees and a low of 32.

More precipitation may begin to push across the Sierra Friday night with snow levels remaining near 7,500-8,000 feet through Saturday. The main push of moisture is expected Saturday night into Sunday morning where snow levels will rapidly drop behind a strong cold front.

Snowfall accumulations of 1 to 3 feet are possible along the Sierra crest through Monday with up to 12 inches between 6,000 to 7,000 feet. Travel impacts are a near certainty in the mountains due to snow and wind. Across western Nevada valleys, some travel impacts are possible for the Monday morning commute with the potential for accumulating snow.

Forecasters say this could just be the beginning of several storms.