News
LAKE TAHOE — Two snowstorms forecast for the Tahoe region could be the beginning of a cold, wet winter, said Scott McGuire, National Weather Service meteorologist.
“The pattern is changing to a cold and wetter pattern,” McGuire said. “It looks like it's going to be an active pattern through the extended forecast.”
Cold air from Canada is expected blow into the basin Sunday night and bring with it a higher snow ratio. Snow ratio refers to the amount of snow produced for what would have been an inch of rain. For Sunday that ratio is 20 to 25 inches of snow for one inch of rain.
“For the skiers and snowboarders there is going to be really nice powder snow,” McGuire.
That system is forecasted to last through Monday evening. After cloudy skies and temperatures near 3 degrees Tuesday morning, snow is set to come again Wednesday and last through Friday.
The mid-week storm will be a more typical Sierra Nevada storm with more moisture than the Sunday to Monday storm, McGuire said.
While the majority of the second system is going to hit south of the lake, Tahoe will see “decent snowfall,” McGuire said.
Currently the Tahoe basin's snow pack is at 31 percent of average, according to the NWS. Last year at this time it was at 1 percent of average.
“We are a little higher but nowhere near normal,” McGuire said.
Below is an extended forecast for the North Lake Tahoe area complements of www.noaa.gov.
“The pattern is changing to a cold and wetter pattern,” McGuire said. “It looks like it's going to be an active pattern through the extended forecast.”
Cold air from Canada is expected blow into the basin Sunday night and bring with it a higher snow ratio. Snow ratio refers to the amount of snow produced for what would have been an inch of rain. For Sunday that ratio is 20 to 25 inches of snow for one inch of rain.
“For the skiers and snowboarders there is going to be really nice powder snow,” McGuire.
That system is forecasted to last through Monday evening. After cloudy skies and temperatures near 3 degrees Tuesday morning, snow is set to come again Wednesday and last through Friday.
The mid-week storm will be a more typical Sierra Nevada storm with more moisture than the Sunday to Monday storm, McGuire said.
While the majority of the second system is going to hit south of the lake, Tahoe will see “decent snowfall,” McGuire said.
Currently the Tahoe basin's snow pack is at 31 percent of average, according to the NWS. Last year at this time it was at 1 percent of average.
“We are a little higher but nowhere near normal,” McGuire said.
Below is an extended forecast for the North Lake Tahoe area complements of www.noaa.gov.
Extended forecast
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 46. West wind between 5 and 10 mph.Friday: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. West wind around 10 mph.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37. West wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. North wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34. South wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Sunday Night: Snow. Low around 23. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.
Monday: Snow showers. High near 23. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.
Monday Night: A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 9.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 20.
Tuesday Night: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16.
Wednesday: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 29.
Wednesday Night: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 28.
Thursday: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a high near 34.
