Flood Watch in place this weekend as temperatures warm up in the Sierra

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Weather Service in Reno has issued a Flood Watch for portions of California and western Nevada, including the greater Lake Tahoe area; Lassen, Eastern Plumas, Eastern Sierra counties; Surprise Valley; the greater Reno, Carson City, Minden area; and Mineral and southern Lyon counties. The Watch is in place from 3 p.m. on Saturday to 7 a.m. Monday.

Warming temperatures this weekend will bring renewed snowmelt and streamflow rises, especially for snow-covered terrain below about 7000 feet. Creeks that brought impacts this past week will likely be problematic again and potentially reach higher levels, especially by late Sunday.

As of Thursday night, the Truckee River and Trout Creek are well below flood stages.

The Upper Truckee River in South Lake Tahoe was at 6.38 feet Thursday night, after a high on Wednesday of 7.38 feet. These heights are still below the flood action stage of 9.5 ft. The river's minor flood stage is 10.5 ft, moderate flood stage 11.5 ft, and major flood stage is 12.5 ft. One year ago the Upper Truckee River was 4.75 ft. The river temperature is 44.24 degrees and flows at 237 cubic feet per second.

Over at Trout Creek in South Lake Tahoe, the height is 6.54 ft as of Thursday evening after a high on Wednesday of 7.14 feet. Flood action stage is 8 ft, the minor flood stage is 9 ft, the moderate flood stage is 9.5 ft and the major flood stage is 10 ft. One year ago today Trout Creek was 5.64 ft. The creek temperature is 40.1 degrees and it is flowing at 98.6 cubic feet per second.

Temperatures will increase Friday-Sunday, then there they drop Monday as a small storm front makes its way into the Sierra. Colder temperatures (and a chance of more snow Monday night and Tuesday) will slow the snowmelt and reduce any concern of flooding.

The four-day forecast for South Lake Tahoe:

Friday - Sunny, with a high near 50. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Friday Night - Mostly clear, with a low around 26. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming south in the evening.

Saturday - Sunny, with a high near 56. Southwest wind around 5 mph.

Saturday Night - Mostly clear, with a low of around 30. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday - Sunny, with a high near 55. Breezy, with a southwest wind of 5 to 10 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.

Sunday Night - Mostly clear, with a low around 29.

Monday - Mostly sunny, with a high near 48. Breezy.