storms

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.

We've all seen the recent NFL player's protest over the treatment of blacks by not standing during the playing of the National Anthem at games. While I don’t agree with their method, it made me think about the way people respect the flag in general.

When growing up I always heard "Don't let the flag touch the ground," "The flag is only outside during daylight hours and not during rain or bad weather," and, as a Girl Scout, I learned how to fold the flag in the correct manner and learned the flag had to be burned if it was mistreated.

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.

Outdoor Earth Day festivities in South Lake Tahoe has meant a return of winter in past years, and 2016 will be no different. Good news for the festival is the Friday night snow will make room for a sunny and warmer Saturday before the next system moves in.

A series of storms are headed to the Sierra, the first set to arrive Thursday night/Friday morning.

It is also closing weekend at Heavenly Mountain Resort, and they should have a fresh layer of powder for the skiers headed to the slopes. Both Kirkwood and Sierra-at-Tahoe are both closed for the season.

The storms that hit the Lake Tahoe Basin over the last four days left behind much needed snow, bringing the season totals close to average.

The Sierra snowpack as of Monday, March 14, 2016 is at 92 percent of normal, with the central Sierra measurement at 94 percent.

Ski resorts around the lake are boasting measured snowfall very close to average as well. A couple of more storms are needed to bring most of the resorts to average though Northstar and Mt. Rose resorts are already there.

Ski resorts are celebrating 10" to 20" of new snow overnight, with more in the forecast for Sunday evening in South Lake Tahoe.

The National Weather Service said the next wave Sunday will bring with it strong winds and, at times, a heavy rate of snow fall of one to two inches per hour. Lake level is expected to see an additional 3" to 7". Elevations over 7,000 ft were forecast to get two to four feet out of these storms.

The following is the ski, snowboard and weather report for Tuesday, March 1, 2016 for South Lake Tahoe brought to you by Lake Tahoe SkiBum.

Lake Wind Advisory in effect from March 1, 8:00 a.m. until March 1, 10:00 p.m.

Weather - South Lake Tahoe will have a high today of 60 and a low tonight of 34. Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Breezy, with a south wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

With a snowpack 130% of average, the warm temperatures which are forecast this week in South Lake Tahoe aren't worrying those watching the drought situation, yet.

A high pressure system over the west coast will bring record, or near record, temperatures up and down the coast with Sacramento in the 70s and Los Angeles near 90. Reno will be in the 60s.

The long range forecast from accuweather.com calls for wet weather back again soon. One system next week could bring rain, but stronger chances of rain and snow over the last two weeks of the month.

It is still too early to know whether enough precipitation will have fallen by the end of winter's wet season to significantly impact the drought, but, snowpack and reservoir storage has benefited from recent storms.

Officials from the Department of Water Resources (DWR) will be making their monthly snowpack measurement near Sierra-at-Tahoe on Tuesday, February 2, but electronic readings taken on January 28 show the snowpack is at 116 percent of average. The statewide water content of 18.7 inches is greater now than on any January 26 since 2011.

Know Before You Go, a program to inform outdoor enthusiasts about avalanche safety, will be presented by Sierra Avalanche Center at the next meeting of the Tahoe Area Sierra Club on February 4, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. at Unity at the Lake.

They will cover the basic safety measures for travel in avalanche terrain which is especially important given the recent wet storms.

The Know Before You Go program was created in 2004 to teach people what they need to know to have fun and stay safe in avalanche terrain.

Unity at the Lake is located at 1195 Rufus Allen Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe.

Location

Unusual snowpack conditions in the Sierra Nevada are contributing to a type of avalanche problem that in the past decade has rarely been widespread in the region.

That’s according to the Sierra Avalanche Center, a non-profit organization that partners with the U.S. Forest Service to observe and analyze snow conditions in the Lake Tahoe area and beyond.

“There could be avalanches in places that have never seen avalanches before,” said Brandon Schwartz, lead forecaster for the center.

Though not as strong as many predicted at lake level, the storms that came through Lake Tahoe this week left behind plenty of powder on the slopes.

The National Weather Service in Reno said little additional snow is expected through Friday but another series of weak to moderate storm systems is likely to bring more snow to the Sierra from Saturday through the middle of next week.

Here is their forecast:

Heavy snow stranded two snowmobilers and a vehicle in the Sierra Nevada during recent storms, bringing out search and rescue volunteers from both El Dorado and Alpine Counties in the last ten days.

It's going to be a white Christmas in Lake Tahoe, with heavy snow expected throughout the day Thursday, leaving an expected extra foot of snow at lake level by Friday morning.

If you are traveling you can expect road controls from chains or snow tire requirements to chains or 4WD with snow tires.

Recent storms have left enough snow for the Nordic Ski Center at Lake Tahoe Community College to open with seven kilometers of groomed and diverse trails around the 164 acre campus.

Cross country and skate skiers can enjoy the breathtaking views and great exercise right in the heard of South Lake Tahoe.

The LTCC CONNECT Community Education program manages the center with a number of affordable passes for the entire season or for single day use.

In today’s world, the reasons for being prepared seem to be escalating. From threats of terrorist attacks to huge storms that could knock out the power supply, the only way you can make sure your family will survive is to take steps to ensure you are prepared. It’s not always going to be possible to count on the government or community resources in times of trouble, so taking some time to put together your own emergency provisions can be the determining factor in whether your family eats or even survives the emergency.

UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) will host Dr. Kelly Redmond, regional climatologist for the western United States with the Desert Research Institute, on Thursday, October 29, 2015.

Historian and author Mark McLaughlin will present his program “Reign of the Storm King” in a free presentation at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Saturday, October 3, at 10:00 a.m.

Location

Experts warn of a Godzilla El Niño this fall.

So, what exactly is a "Godzilla" El Niño?

Actually, it’s just a clever joke by a NASA climatologist: "This definitely has the potential of being the Godzilla El Niño," Bill Patzert of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge, California, said Thursday.

What's It Look Like?

"Godzilla" El Niño is not a technical or scientific term, but it's a good way to describe the upcoming El Niño event, because it could likely be one of the strongest since record-keeping began in 1950.

Two boulders the size of cars fell onto State Route 28 Friday morning after a rockslide in the area near Sand Harbor.

The Nevada Highway Patrol received a call on July 10 at 8:30 a.m. about a rockslide blocking the lanes near Sand Harbor.

Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) crews worked to remove the boulders, and by 1:30 p.m. the road was reopened according to Meg Ragonese of NDOT.

“During storms, we want to remind drivers to be extra cautious on mountainous roads,” Ragonese said.

No injuries were reported.

9:20 p.m. update 7/8/15

Approximately 141 homes have water and structural damage after Wednesday's flooding in the Stephanie and Johnson Lane areas of Douglas County. It is unknown how many homes may have landscape damage.

No injuries have been reported.

Douglas County has activated a flood hot line for residents who have been affected by the flooding. The number to call is (775) 782-6262 or visit douglasflood2015@gmail.com.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Lake Tahoe Basin as well as other parts of Northern California.

High pressure has settled in over Nevada and will remain through the weekend. Temperatures will be well above noromal with moisture slowly working its way North into the Sierra and Western Nevada.

Isolated thundershowers are expected to become more numerous over the weekend. The storms will begin dry, becoming a hybrid of wet and dry by Sunday, then primarily wet by early next week.

The National Weather Service is calling for widespread thunderstorms throughout the Sierra and western Nevada for the next several days. On Thursday, June 4 there is an 80% chance of rain in South Lake Tahoe with a rainfall total of .16 inch.

Chances of rain and thunderstorms continue through the weekend and into next week. On Friday, rainfall total of .14" is forecast, .23" on Saturday and a trace on Sunday.

The best chances for strong thunderstorms will be in and along the Sierra. Storms may start early in the morning with the strongest storms expected during the early afternoon.

"You have to adapt to changes in life or you won't survive," John Rice told a crowd at Wednesday's 'Tahoe Talks' held at LTCC.

"Change is happening, clearly we're in a drought, whether it's here for short term, or long term, time will tell," said Rice, the VP and General Manager of Sierra-at-Tahoe. "The ski industry has the most to lose in a drought."