Blustery and wet end to holiday weekend

Very mild conditions will prevail through Saturday with a few record high temperatures possible. Things will start changing Saturday ahead of a strong cold front which will bring snow to the Sierra and northeast California Sunday and Sunday night.

The National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Watch for Lake Tahoe on Saturday, November 25, 2017 from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. as a potent Pacific storm moves inland, bringing rain and mountain snow along with those gusty winds.

Winds will be breezy on Saturday and then increase significantly overnight into Sunday afternoon. While it is too early to estimate peak gusts, gusts of 60 mph or more are possible along portions of the 395 corridor and Sierra ridge gusts will likely exceed 100 mph.

Precipitation will begin as rain, even at the passes, as snow levels start high.
Snow levels will begin to fall Sunday with snow over the passes possible by sunset Sunday. Expect holiday weekend travel impacts due to winds and snow over the passes.

Snow levels will start at near 9000 feet Saturday afternoon and then fall to 5500 feet for Lassen County, 7000 feet for the Tahoe Basin, and 8000 feet for Mono County by late Sunday afternoon. Snow levels will crash Sunday night and fall to near the lower valley floors as the precipitation ends. While it is too early to predict snowfall amounts, moderate accumulations are likely for the Sierra passes with light accumulations possible as low as 4500 feet.

Be prepared for major travel delays over Sierra passes due to slick and snow-covered roads.

The forecast for South Lake Tahoe from the National Weather Service in Reno:

Tonight - Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. Southwest wind around 5 mph.

Friday - Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday Night - Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. Southwest wind around 5 mph.

Saturday - Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Windy, with a southwest wind 10 to 20 mph increasing to 20 to 30 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph.

Saturday Night - Rain likely, mainly after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. Breezy, with a southwest wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Sunday - Rain. High near 53. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday Night - Rain and snow, becoming all snow after 10pm. Low around 28. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Monday - A chance of snow before 10am, then a chance of snow showers after 10am.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 41.

Monday Night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 24.

Tuesday - Sunny, with a high near 45.

Tuesday Night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 23.

Wednesday - Mostly sunny, with a high near 48.

Wednesday Night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 24.

Thursday - Mostly sunny, with a high near 48