national weather service

A small weather system is passing by the Sierras on Wednesday evening, bringing with it a chance for light snow overnight and into Thursday morning. There is another chance for light snow on Sunday as another small weather system approaches.

Lows will be in the teens all week in South Lake Tahoe.

The forecast from the National Weather Service:

Wednesday - A 10 percent chance of snow showers after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 43. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

It was a beautiful Thanksgiving Day in South Lake Tahoe, but things are about to change.

Another system is headed into the Lake Tahoe basin on Friday, bringing with it winds 20-30 mph with prolonged wind gusts from 30-55 mph. The wind advisory is in effect from 10:00 a.m. Friday to 4:00 p.m. Saturday.

Waves are expected to be 2-4 feet with the highest ones on the north and east shores.

A fast moving storm dropped up to a couple of inches of snow at lake level overnight, leaving behind chain controls over the passes, a wind advisory and a chance for a little more snow during the day Wednesday.

Heavenly Mountain Resort opens today with a reported 3-5" of new snow.

Road controls at 8:00 a.m.:

HWY 50/Echo Summit - Chains Required, All Vehicles Except 4-Wheel Drive with Snow Tires) on US-50 from mile post 59.8 in El Dorado County to mile post 70.6 in El Dorado County in California. (Twin Bridges to Meyers)

As we start a busy week of travel, three different storms headed to the Lake Tahoe Basin may impact driving conditions. People are driving, flying or taking a train to their Thanksgiving destinations and AAA expects more than 40 million people will drive 50 miles or more for Thanksgiving, the most since 2007.

Some of those travelers are headed to Lake Tahoe though hotel rooms and vacation rentals are still available.

Expect a windy and snowy weekend in South Lake Tahoe! Ski resorts on the South Shore had to postpone opening days, so maybe Mother Nature will be helping them out!

There is a wind advisory in place for South Lake Tahoe in advance of the winter storm headed our way. Expect winds 15-25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph overnight Friday, increasing Saturday to 20-30 mph and gusts to 55 mph. Ridgetop winds could gust up to 110 mph. Waves on the lake are expected to be 2-5' with the highest on the north and east shore.

The winds subside slightly as a winter storm moves in.

Heavenly Mountain Resort and Northstar California Resort announced today that the resorts are now targeting Wednesday, Nov. 23 as their opening day instead of this Friday.

Shops, restaurants and activities in Heavenly Village and The Village at Northstar will still open Friday, Nov. 18. Heavenly will offer scenic gondola rides and Ridge Rider Coaster tours Saturday, Nov. 19 and Sunday, Nov. 20.

Major changes are on their way to the Sierra, but Veterans Day starts off a nice weekend before the fast moving storm arrives on Wednesday.

The National Weather Service says to expect snow levels rapidly falling along the cold front Wednesday, and possible into Thursday morning. Gusty winds are anticipated Tuesday into Wednesday. Snowfall amounts, and exact timing of storm will become more evident to forecasters as the storm gets closer.

But before then, get out and enjoy Fall in South Lake Tahoe!

The NWS forecast:

Two storms are headed to Lake Tahoe and each will bring rain, wind and a chance of snow.

The first storm will hit Thursday into Friday, with the other one right on its tail Saturday night into Sunday.

Storm one:

Hurricane Seymour off the coast of Mexico will bring heavy rainfall that will likely cause travel delays, especially for those driving across the Sierra. The peak period for heavy rain looks like it will be early Friday morning. Rain will spillover into Western Nevada as well, so be prepared with ponding water on the roadway.

South Lake Tahoe saw over six inches of rain during the series of three storms over the weekend, which did a lot more than bring a little snow to upper elevations.

The storm also send an estimated 11 billion gallons of water into Lake Tahoe according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno. This is equivalent to the average total consumptive water use in a year from the Truckee River by the Truckee Meadows Water Authority. The average metered household in the Truckee Meadows uses about 121,000 gallons a year.

There is a flash flood warning on Saturday for the Little Valley and Emerald Fire burn scars.

The National Weather Service in Reno has issued the warning for Saturday afternoon through late Saturday night.

Another band of heavy rain is expected Saturday afternoon with rainfall rates over over 1" in three hours in the areas of the burns. The rain could trigger debris flows and rock falls, which have already been reported across Highway 89 near the Emerald Fire.

These rocks and debris may affect area homes and highways, the NWS said.

Those in South Lake Tahoe this weekend had sun and warm temperatures as they enjoyed fall colors, the marathon, Columbus Day and fall chores, but the weather is about to change by Friday.

It will be windy, with gusts up to 40 mph, strong enough to cause damage through Western Nevada and in the Sierra.

"Confidence is increasing for a high wind event Friday with strong winds continuing Saturday and Sunday," said the National Weather Service in Reno. "Damaging winds will be possible along with impacts to travel for high profile vehicles, aviation, and high fire danger."

Fall colors are near their peak in Lake Tahoe and Hope Valley, and with wind, rain and snow in the forecast, this may be the last few days to witness their spectacular golds, yellows and reds.

Not quite time to get on the slopes, but it certainly appears Mother Nature will attempt to get snow in the Lake Tahoe Basin this weekend with snow levels forecast at lake level. Light snow is expected and there may be impacts to travelers over Highways 50 and 80.

Location

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE - The first day of Fall will be here on Thursday, but until then enjoy the last hurrah of Summer.

Winds will be increasing as another cold front pushes through the region early next week. Winds will begin to increase Monday becoming quite breezy by Tuesday and Wednesday.

If being outdoors is on your weekend agenda in Lake Tahoe, you'll be enjoying sunny skies and warm temperatures with highs around 80 and lows near 40. A possibly wet system is moving towards Northern Nevada and California Monday, and could result in rain in South Lake Tahoe.

The forecast from the National Weather Service:

Friday - Sunny, with a high near 81. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Friday Night - Mostly clear, with a low around 40. Northeast wind around 5 mph.

A wildfire burning west of the town of Coalinga in Fresno County is responsible for the widespread haze through the Lake Tahoe basin, the Sierra Nevada and Western Nevada.

The National Weather Service in Reno said the Mineral Fire is sending smoke north due to a southerly flow in the lower atmosphere.

So far, fire has burned through 5,000 acres of land in steep terrain. It started on Tuesday and the cause is under investigation.

There are 1,000 firefighters on the scene and several evacuations are in place.

If you like heat, then you're sure to love the weather in South Lake Tahoe Thursday and Friday when records are expected to drop from Reno to Mammoth. South Lake Tahoe is forecast to hit 91 degrees both days, beating records previously set in 2009.

The National Weather Service in Reno is also telling people in all areas of the Sierra and western Nevada, except for the Lake Tahoe basin, to expect very isolated areas of thunderstorms with an increased threat of lightning fires.

A far reaching high pressure system is over the west coast, with temperatures reaching into the 100s up and down the middle of California and into Nevada.

The record temperatures for South Lake Tahoe are around 90, with the average being 80. Here is the forecast for the week from the National Weather Service.

Sunday - Sunny, with a high near 82. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.

Sunday Night - Clear, with a low around 46. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Monday - Sunny, with a high near 82. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Lake Tahoe and Northern Nevada are not alone this weekend as a combination of hot and dry conditions with gusty winds will bring dangerous fire weather conditions to a large portion of the western U.S. Any fire in this region will have the potential to grow rapidly out of control so extreme caution is urged near dry grass and brush. Numerous Red Flag Warnings are in effect from the Sierra Nevada to the High Plains of South Dakota.

Lake Tahoe's water level has likely peaked, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno.

With most of the snow around the Tahoe Basin melted, water outflow due to evaporation into the air is now greater than the inflow into the lake. The lake peaked at just over 6,224 feet about a week ago.

The forecast will only help the evaporation rate. An average of 1,400,000 tons of water evaporates from the surface of Lake Tahoe every 24 hours, 360,000 acre feet a year. T

From the NWS:

Wednesday - Sunny, with a high near 79. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

May in South Lake Tahoe is always unpredictable, with the only thing weather watches can count on is change. This weekend is no different.

The National Weather Service forecast for the area calls for winds, rain, a trace of snow for the next seven days.

Friday - Scattered rain and snow showers. Some thunder is also possible. Partly sunny, with a high near 46. Breezy, with a southwest wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

The National Weather Service has a wet forecast for South Lake Tahoe over the next seven days.

Sunday - Scattered showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 56. East wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday night - Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

When Lake Tahoe reached its natural rim on April 9, it was the first time in 300 days that it had done so. Water supply forecasters now expect the lake to rise another 1.2 feet this summer (0.8 feet on the low end to almost 1.9 feet on the high end).

Water supply forecasts are made by the US National Weather Service California Nevada River Forecast Center Forecast Center in coordination with the Natural Resource Conservation Service.

A relatively weak Spring storm is headed to Lake Tahoe, bringing with it modest rain and snow amounts as it moves through the Sierra and western Nevada on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

Snow levels will be down to around 4500 - 5500 feet. Although it will be cold enough for widespread snow showers, there won't be much in the way of snow totals with this storm though the West Slope should see more than the Lake Tahoe Basin and Reno. On Wednesday, the NWS in Sacramento forecast 4"-8" for the higher elevations.

South Lake Tahoe will see high in the 60s this week, with a chance of rain coming into the Basin by April 8. 2016.

According to the National Weather Service in Reno, forecast simulations are coming into better agreement in a transition to a wet pattern starting the end of the upcoming week into next weekend. The Climate Prediction Center’s 6-10 day and 8-14 day outlooks both agree on this as well.