Chance of showers and thunderstorms all week for the Lake Tahoe Basin

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Expect widespread thick smoke from area fires to continue to impact the region at least through Monday, and possibly Tuesday. While to most impact will be to the Reno-Carson Valley area, some smoke will continue to fill the Lake Tahoe Basin though it should be subsiding, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno.

A rather solid monsoon moisture surge will bring increasing thunderstorm chances to the area today through much of the coming week. Specifically for Sunday the best odds are in the Eastern Sierra between Tahoe and Mammoth, with thunderstorms possible Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons over more of the region including Reno-Tahoe, Fallon, and Susanville.

There are also indications of a cluster of pre-dawn thunderstorms moving through early Tuesday morning, which given the unusual time of day, could catch many people off-guard.

NWS Reno says a significant concern with these storms is the potential for heavy rainfall and flash flooding on recent burn scars such as the Beckwourth Complex and ongoing fires such as the Tamarack Fire. It only takes 5-10 minutes of heavy rains to result in debris flows on these burn areas. Additional impacts include outflow winds to 50 mph, lightning with new fire starts outside storm cores, and small hail.

The weekly forecast for South Lake Tahoe from NWS-Reno:

Monday - A slight chance of showers between 11am and 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Widespread haze between 11am and 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Monday Night - A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Widespread haze before 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Tuesday - A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Widespread haze. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light southwest in the evening.

Wednesday - A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night - A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 56.

Thursday - A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.

Thursday Night - A slight chance of showers before 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 58.

Friday - A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.

Friday Night - A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 58.

Saturday - A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.

Saturday Night - A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.

Sunday - Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.