Lake Wind Advisory in place for Lake Tahoe Wednesday

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Th National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has a Lake Wind Advisory in effort for the Lake Tahoe Basin Wednesday, May 19 from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The advisory is for South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City, Truckee, Markleeville, Stateline, Glenbrook, and Incline Village.

Expect southwest winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Waves 1 to 3 feet are possible. Expect a few wind-prone locations to jump up into the 40-50 mph range.

Small boats, kayaks, and paddleboards will be prone to capsizing and should remain off lake waters until conditions improve.

The winds are ahead of a cold front that will bring big changes to the area.

The short-term highlights from NWS Reno:
* Windy and warm Wednesday. Not a great day for lake activities.
* Rain, snow, and thunder possible Wednesday Night and Thursday, snow levels may drop as low as 4500 feet.
* Snow accumulations possible Thursday morning for Lassen, Plumas, northern Washoe, Tahoe. Some snowflakes in valley communities.

Snow totals should stay below 2-3 inches, though the strong forcing and instability with this system could allow for isolated amounts near 6 inches by Thursday morning. Be prepared for some slick roads and snow-covered passes. Any snow that does stick to paved surfaces should melt off by mid-late morning.

Showers and a few thunderstorms remain possible Friday-Saturday as the low hangs around the region with additional snow accumulations possible in the Sierra should heavier showers develop.

Warm-up begins Sunday though it may be slow as some simulations keep the low over northeast Nevada until Sunday evening.