SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – As we say goodbye to 2018 and hello to 2019 there will be one constant in Lake Tahoe – sunny days and temperatures well below freezing as the sun goes down.
A cold front will move through the area overnight Sunday night into Monday morning, though it is a dry one. A brisk north to northeast wind will also make it feel considerably colder. As for when the new year begins at midnight, expect it to
be quite chilly.
At this point models show a potential for a shift to southerly flow (with gusty ridgetop winds) ahead of a Pacific trough approaching the west coast on Friday. However, timing the eastern movement of this trough is highly uncertain because of a large spread among computer simulations. The faster solutions show winter conditions (and travel impacts) returning to the Sierra by Friday afternoon or Friday night, but others keep the trough offshore through the weekend, while others
direct all the moisture into the Pacific Northwest. Hopefully this wide range of outcomes will narrow over the next few days, to increase forecast confidence for next weekend, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.
Here is their forecast for the week:
Saturday – Sunny, with a high near 44. East wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night – Partly cloudy, with a low around 22. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest after midnight.
Sunday – Mostly sunny, with a high near 48. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Sunday Night – Partly cloudy, with a low around 17. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
Monday – Mostly sunny, with a high near 27.
New Year’s Eve – Mostly clear, with a low around 11.
New Year’s Day – Sunny, with a high near 39.
Tuesday Night – Mostly clear, with a low around 13.
Wednesday – Sunny, with a high near 44.
Wednesday Night – Mostly clear, with a low around 22.
Thursday – Sunny, with a high near 47.
Thursday Night – Partly cloudy, with a low around 25.
Friday – Mostly sunny, with a high near 44.