Smoky forecast for the Lake Tahoe Basin

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Smoke mainly from the large Dixie Fire north of Lake Tahoe is covering Northern California, Western Nevada and filling the Lake Tahoe Basin today.

Visible satellite imagery Thursday along with air quality and visibility sensors showed the rapid progression of the smoke plume south and southeast as a cold front pushed through the region. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno said high-resolution smoke simulations are also in agreement for this widespread smoke and haze for much of the Sierra, the Tahoe Basin, and western Nevada, including Reno, Carson City, Lovelock and Minden.

Light winds today may keep smoke across the Sierra and western Nevada for much of the day, including this evening, where little to no west winds are forecast. Saturday afternoon, the winds may pick up a little bit, but for the most part the smoke will persist through Saturday with varying degrees of smoke density. This may limit visibility and will likely impact air quality for much of the region.

Today and Saturday may be particularly awful when it comes to the smoke and haze, so take precautions and plan for it, said NWS Reno.

Here are a few other tips;

Reduce or stop outdoor activity and stay inside.

Keep windows closed, and if AC is available, keep the fresh-air intake closed, filter clean.

Pay attention to air quality on AirNow.gov.

Follow the advice of your doctor, especially those with heart or lung disease.

Wet or dry clothes, dust, or surgical masks do not protect you from ozone or fine particulates.

To see air quality, visit www.airnow.gov, the TRPA 48-hour smoke website, https://gis.trpa.org/smokemap/, and https://www.iqair.com/us/usa/california/south-lake-tahoe.