TRUCKEE, Calif. – The Sierra State Parks Foundation, in partnership with California State Parks and the Nevada County Library, is proud to announce the return of the monthly Sierra Speaker Series. The first talk is bound to be a crowd-pleaser, featuring award-winning weather historian Mark McLaughlin. The presentation, “The Donner Party: Weathering the Storm,” will take place on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the Donner Memorial State Park Visitor Center and offers a new analysis of the Donner Party’s tragic story.
While the story of the Donner Party is etched into American folklore, McLaughlin’s presentation offers a unique, data-driven perspective on the catastrophic winter of 1846-47. By utilizing real-time weather observations from 19th-century American warships and eyewitness accounts from ground personnel, McLaughlin provides a harrowing look at how heavy Sierra snowpack and lowland Pacific rainstorms converged to impede rescue efforts and overwhelm the pioneers.
Doors open at 5:00 pm, and the presentation starts promptly at 5:30 pm. Admission is a suggested $5 donation. Attendees can enjoy light refreshments and wines generously sponsored by Highway 12 Winery. No pre-registration is required to attend this event. Free parking is available after 5:00 pm.
Mark McLaughlin is a five-time recipient of the Nevada State Press Award and a nationally published author with over 1,500 articles in print. He has served as a consultant for The History Channel, The Weather Channel, and the BBC.
“We are excited to be kicking off the 2026 Sierra Speaker Series with Mark McLaughlin. This partnership allows us to bring subject matter experts directly into our community, giving the community the rare opportunity to interact face-to-face with the researchers and historians who are actively uncovering the secrets of our region’s rich cultural past,” shares Michael Myers, executive director of the Sierra State Parks Foundation.
For more information on Sierra State Parks, visit https://www.sierrastateparks.org/.