Winter Storm Warning for Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada

UPDATE 11PM Thursday: Well, that didn't last long. NWS Reno has changed the situation to Winter Storm Warning. The warning is in effect from 7 a.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday. Expect heavy snow with accumulations of 5 to 10 inches for Lake Tahoe communities such as Truckee and South Lake Tahoe with 10 to 20 inches above 7000 feet, highest west of Highway 89. Winds gusting as high as 50 mph in lower elevations and 80 to 100 mph over Sierra Ridges. Wave heights on Lake Tahoe are expected to be 2 to 4 feet. 3-7" of snow during the day on Saturday, and another 3-7" during the night.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has issued a Winter Weather Watch for this weekend. Formerly a Winter Weather Advisory, it was downgraded, but heavy snow is still forecast.

A weak passing system will bring light snow to the region overnight into Friday morning and it may be a good idea to allow extra time for the morning commute. Our main winter storm arrives Saturday into Sunday, with strong winds, periods of heavy Sierra snow, lighter snow into western Nevada, and some of the coldest air so far this season. Additional cold storms are possible into the second week of January.

On mid-late morning Saturday, the Sierra crest may see gusts reaching near 100 mph. The leading edge of the storm arrives Saturday with peak rates into the Sierra during the day for areas near/north of US-50, continuing into the night for Mono County. Currently rates of 1-3" per hour look probable according to NWS Reno, and they`ll have a better idea of timing and intensity as it gets closer on Friday. They`re still looking at a 60-80% chance to exceed 12" in the high Sierra, with upper-end scenarios nearing 2 feet along the crest. This storm is plenty cold for snow down to western Nevada valley floors, with a "most likely" scenario of up to 2", and a
"boom" potential pushing 6" in a few locations. This will be a dry, fluffy snow and can blow around easily.

The weekend forecast from NWS Reno for South Lake Tahoe:

Friday - Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 41. East wind around 5 mph.

Friday Night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 18. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Saturday - Snow, mainly after 10 am. The snow could be heavy at times. High near 36. Breezy, with a southwest wind of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. The chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches is possible.

Saturday Night - Snow, mainly before 10 pm. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 7. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph. The chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches is possible.

Sunday - A 30 percent chance of snow, mainly between 10 am and 4 pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 31. North wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Little or no snow accumulation is expected.

Sunday Night - A 20 percent chance of snow before 10 pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 5.