Incoming weekend storm upgraded to Winter Storm Warning

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Weather Service (NWS) has upgraded its previous Winter Storm Watch and issued a Winter Storm Warning for Lake Tahoe from 1 a.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday. Even though the "watch" starts at 1 a.m., snow could start before then.

Those traveling to the Sierra for the Martin Luther King weekend should watch conditions and travel accordingly. Sunday should be mostly clear, and sunny on the "getaway" day on Monday.

NWS Reno is calling for heavy snow with snow accumulations of 1 to 5 inches at lake level, 6 to 14 inches between 7000 and 8000 feet, and 12 to 22 inches above 8000 feet. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph in lower elevations and up to 95 mph along Sierra ridges.

The storm isn't as cold as the last one, with lows around 20 degrees, and highs 36-42 degrees.

Wave heights on Lake Tahoe could be 2 to 4 feet.

Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions may impact the weekend ski commutes. Strong winds may cause blowing snow at times with limited visibility, says NWS Reno.

For current road conditions, download the Caltrans app or go to https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/, and for Nevada roads, download the Nevada DOT app or visit https://www.nvroads.com/.