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The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has a series of both short-term and long-term road projects at Lake Tahoe and neighboring areas.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It's that time of year once again when Christmas Tree permits go on sale at local Forest Service offices. With a limit of 2,00 permits there is no telling when they'll sell out.

Starting November 14, 2018, The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will begin selling the $10 permits on a first-come, first-served basis. Permit holders may choose from a variety of pine, fir or cedar trees up to six inches in diameter (at the base) in designated cutting areas.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has several road construction projects in the Lake Tahoe area. The following is their list for the week of October 28-November 3, 2018, including alerts on special events in Apple Hill and on SR49.

SPECIAL EVENTS

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Weather and conditions permitting, California State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service will continue the fall prescribed fire program with operations in D.L. Bliss State Park on the West Shore tomorrow, October 23, 2018, and in Baldwin Meadow on the south end of Lake Tahoe on Wednesday, October 24. Smoke will likely be present. Both of these operations will involve understory burning, which is explained below. A map with project locations and details is available for viewing at http://www.tahoefft.org.

With the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center report released Thursday, it looks like Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada will be warmer than average and experience an average precipitation year.

A mild winter could be in store for much of the United States this winter according to the report. In the U.S. Winter Outlook for December through February, above-average temperatures are most likely across the northern and western U.S., Alaska and Hawaii.

Additionally, a weak El Nino has a 70 to 75 percent chance of developing.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Weather and conditions permitting, California State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service may conduct prescribed fire operations in Sugar Pine Point State Park on the West Shore and near Twin Peaks on the South Shore beginning today, October 17, 2018. Smoke will likely be present.

A) Along lakeside of Hwy 89, north of General Creek, 17 acres of understory will be burned by California State Parks. Duration of ignition and smoke production is one week with smoke expected to travel northeast.

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is in emergency mode in extreme fire-risk areas in Butte, Sierra, Placer, Nevada, El Dorado, Amador, Plumas, Calaveras and Yuba counties due to Red Flag warnings by the National Weather Service. These shutoffs will affect about 70,000 customers.

South Lake Tahoe is served by Liberty Utilities and not part of the utility company's plan to start proactively shutting off power for safety as early as 5 p.m. Sunday and continuing through the evening.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - On Sunday, a slight system will make its way through the
region, which will bring chances for light rain and mountain obscurations in the eastern Sierra. Gusty east-northeasterly winds as high as 60 kts are expected over the Sierra Sunday evening into Monday morning, as well as the possibility of mountaintop turbulence west of the Sierra crest.

After the cool temperatures, brisk north winds and drier conditions for the
remainder of weekend, temperatures will warm a few degrees early next week with overall drier conditions and lighter winds expected.

An unsettled weather pattern and further cooling looks likely for the upcoming week in Lake Tahoe with the best chances for rain from Tuesday through Thursday.

The National Weather Service in Reno (NWS RENO), dry conditions will prevail today through most of Monday, with areas of mid-high level cloud cover especially on Monday ahead of the next low pressure system approaching the California coast. There is a complex weather scenario setting up for Tuesday-Wednesday

The following is a list of the Caltrans roadwork projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin and El Dorado County for the week of September 23 - 29, 2018.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

PacWest Bancorp and El Dorado Savings Bank have announced the signing of a definitive agreement and plan of merger whereby PacWest will acquire El Dorado Savings in a transaction valued at approximately $466.7 million.

PacWest owns Pacific West Bank which will be the new names of El Dorado branches.

The sale is expected to become final by the first quarter of 2019. The transaction, which was approved by the PacWest and El Dorado boards of directors, is subject to customary closing conditions, including obtaining approval by El Dorado’s stockholders and bank regulatory authorities.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Fall is just around the corner (it starts in one week) and the mild days and cooler nights are a sign of its arrival.

The red flag warnings and lake wind advisories have expired and winds will return to more typical afternoon breezes with temperatures near normal for mid-September.

Dry conditions prevail with near normal temperatures through next week.

The forecast from the National Weather Service in Reno:

Sunday - Sunny, with a high near 71. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) is known for their loving care of wildlife from beavers and owls to bears, but an arrival this week is unusual even for the non-profit based in Meyers near South Lake Tahoe.

Thousands of shore and water birds from Virginia, Carson and Swan Lakes in Nevada were recently stricken by Avian Type C Botulism. Most of the ill birds are Avocets and Ibis, and over 100 of them were brought to Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care for needed attention.

Due to extremely dry vegetation and very high fire danger, recreational target shooting is prohibited in the Eldorado National Forest until at least October 9, 2018. In the Lake Tahoe Basin, it is not prohibited but they suggest those wishing to target shoot go to one of the legal ranges in Carson City or Gardnerville for safety reasons.

A call was made to Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) 911 on Saturday, September 8 at approximately 3:30 p.m., alerting them of a missing man in his 60s at Lake Tahoe. The caller, the man's wife, said her husband had left around noon to go hiking in the area of Skunk Harbor on the east shore of Lake Tahoe and she hadn't heard from him.

Firefighers now have a containment line around three percent of the Boot Fire as 6,873 acres have burned. Fire activity moderated yesterday with little fire growth occurring. More than 570 firefighters and numerous helicopters are making headway.

Over the last several months there has been a great deal of wildland fire activity around the region. Sadly, most fires are human-caused and completely preventable if the public would take the time to better understand conditions that are favorable for fire starts. Fire prevention is the key to keeping our communities and forests safe from wildfire.

Although fire season is now considered a year-round event, wildfires mostly occur in the late summer and early fall when temperatures are still high, humidity is low and vegetation that can feed a wildfire is extremely dry.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - In the coming week, Lake Tahoe and Western Nevada will see temperatures near average with a few degrees of cooling possible for the early part of next week. Dry conditions and typical breezes are expected through Saturday evening with breezy winds and critical fire weather concerns increasing for Sunday as a dry trough approaches the region. No precipitation is expected for the next week.

Expect widespread haze from Northern California fires.

The forecast from the National Weather Service:

Ten El Dorado County area foster youth were all smiles last Saturday, August 18, 2018, when they received the generous gift of technology -- their very own new laptops. The laptops were given to the youth during a small gathering at the El Dorado County Office of Education in Placerville.

Widely scattered thunderstorms will be leaving the Lake Tahoe and Carson Valley Wednesday with no storms expected Thursday onward according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno. There will be breezy and drier conditions Thursday and Friday will lead to cooler overnight lows this weekend and early next week.

Smoke from the Donnell Fire moved north along with the active weather pattern on Tuesday, resulting in the smell of smoke along with some areas of rain and thunder.

The NWS Forecast:

Wednesday - Sunny, with a high near 84. West wind around 5 mph.

For just the second time, fire crews from California communities came together and stationed themselves in a community other than their own on orders from the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services(Cal OES).

A red flag warning was up for the Lake Tahoe Basin Friday and Saturday, with high winds, high temperatures and low humidity in the forecast making the situation ripe for a large fire.

Due to increased Ferguson Fire activity in the areas adjacent to and on Yosemite National Park, park administrators and fire managers have made the decision to extend the current park closures indefinitely.

"The fire activity inside Yosemite National Park is dynamic," said park officials in a press release. "Over the past 48 hours, fire has impacted all of the roads used to access Yosemite Valley, burning dead and downed trees that can become very explosive and fall without warning."

The following is a list of the Caltrans roadwork projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin and El Dorado County for the week of August 5-11, 2018.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

8:00 p.m. UPDATE: The evacuation of the Hung A Lei Ti neighborhood in Woodfords has been lifted and residents may return home. Power has been restored. According to the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center, the fire size has been changed to 204.5 acres and containment lines are growing.

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The Washoe Tribe's Hung A Lel Ti community in Woodfords has been evacuated after the Dutch Fire started in Alpine County early Wednesday morning. At last count, 244 acres have burned and the fire is 5 percent contained.