Lake Tahoe Basin will see lots of sunshine and rising temperatures this week

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Most residents of the Lake Tahoe Basin can't wait to start their spring chores around the yard, and the forecast shows they can soon get started (who knew bagging pine needles could be exciting?). The snow will melt quickly this week as a robust ridge of high pressure builds over the west. This pushes high temperatures into the 80s for lower valleys and mid-60s to around 70 for mountain valleys from Thursday through the end of April, if not the first day or two of May.

This will be a significant test of the snowpack and associated snowmelt.

Building afternoon instability under the ridge may lead to afternoon thunderstorm development over the high Sierra late in the week into next weekend. At this point, the thunder potential is around 15 percent, which is reasonable given the pattern. So if you are partaking in outdoor recreation, be especially careful around waterways, which will be running fast, cold, and potentially out of banks; in addition to keeping an eye on the sky for any clouds beginning to build.

The forecast from the National Weather Service in Reno:

Monday - Sunny, with a high near 57. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph.

Monday Night - Mostly clear, with a low around 28. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast after midnight.

Tuesday - Mostly sunny, with a high near 59. East wind around 5 mph.

Tuesday Night - Mostly clear, with a low around 32. East wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday- Sunny, with a high near 64. East wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday Night - Mostly clear, with a low around 36.

Thursday - Sunny, with a high near 68.

Thursday NightMostly clear, with a low around 37.

Friday - Sunny, with a high near 68.

Friday Night - Mostly clear, with a low around 38.

Saturday - Sunny, with a high near 68.

Saturday Night - Mostly clear, with a low around 38.

Sunday - Sunny, with a high near 68.