Lake Wind Advisory and cooler temperatures Thursday, warming again for weekend

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - An inside slider-type system will bring snow showers, gusty northerly winds, and a brief period of colder temperatures through Thursday. A Lake Wind Advisory is in place from 4:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Thursday, March 10.

Expect northerly wind gusts between 25 and 40 mph at times for valleys on Thursday, with gusts over exposed ridges along the Sierra crest up to 100 mph. Hazardous boating conditions, aviation, and ski impacts, and concerns for high-profile vehicles will continue through Thursday.

Although snowfall totals are expected to be on the light side, these types of systems are notorious for creating variable snow amounts, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) Reno. Western Nevada and the Sierra will have a chance of receiving accumulating snowfall this evening, spreading south along the eastern Sierra into Thursday. Motorists should be prepared for possible winter driving conditions, particularly during the Thursday morning commute.

Things warm up quickly with a high of 54 each day Friday through Monday.

A new storm is approaching the west coast that could bring rain to lake level and snow to upper elevations late Monday through Tuesday. More details on that system will become clearer this weekend.

NWS Reno said the high-pressure ridge that develops Friday will be flattening Monday and could literally be putting a `foot in the storm door` for the West Coast. At this time uncertainty still hovers around how much this storm door will widen and direct moisture-laden Pacific weather systems towards the Sierra and western NV.