Lake Tahoe weather: ‘Several feet of snow’ possible with Thursday storm

TRUCKEE, Calif. — A significant storm could bring several feet of snow to high elevation areas throughout the greater Truckee-Tahoe-Reno region by Friday.

According to a special weather statement Monday morning from the National Weather Service in Reno, the storm is forecast to bring strong winds Wednesday night, followed by periods of high Sierra snow and lower-elevation rainfall Thursday and Thursday night.

Precipitation will “be heaviest during the day on Thursday with moderate snow showers lingering in the Sierra overnight into Friday,” according to NWS. “Several feet of snow are possible above 7,000 feet, with up to a foot down to 6,000 feet.”

Snow levels could drop as low as the Sierra Foothills, according to NWS, with rainfall amounts of a half inch to an inch also possible.

According to NWS, wind gusts Wednesday night and Thursday are forecast to reach 40 to 65 mph in the valleys, with Sierra ridge gusts topping 100 mph.

Should the storm hit as forecast, it would be a welcome boost to Truckee-Tahoe ski resorts, many of which were able to open by Thanksgiving this year due to a series of smaller snow storms in November.

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