YOUR AD HERE »

Lake Tahoe weather: Thursday storm could bring foot of snow, 115 mph gusts

Staff report

Tahoe ski resort snow totals

Click here to view the Sierra Sun-North Lake Tahoe Bonanza’s ski resort snow report, with snow conditions data provided by SnoCountry.com.

TRUCKEE, Calif. — It appears the month of December will start off just like November for the greater Truckee-Tahoe region — snowy and blustery.

A winter weather advisory will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, for the area, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

“Strong gusty southerly winds will move into the region Thursday morning, with peak winds expected from midday through later afternoon,” according to NWS. “Snow is likely to begin late Thursday afternoon or early evening, lasting through Thursday night, with the heaviest snow in the evening.”



Six inches to a foot of snow is possible by Friday morning along the Sierra crest, including around Donner and Echo summit passes, with 2 to 5 inches possible below 7,000 feet.

Driving conditions should be very poor, considering the storm is forecast to boast wind gusts of up to 50 mph at ground level, with ridge gusts approaching 115 mph, according to NWS.



As is the case with most Sierra storms, snow tire or chain restrictions will likely be in effect along most highways and passes, including Interstate 80, U.S. Highway 50, California highways 28, 89 and 267, and Nevada highways 28, 207 and 431.

The small storm comes after the Tahoe-Truckee region received anywhere from 2 to 4 feet of snow from a quartet of early season storms in November, which allowed for many of the region’s ski resorts to open early and offer solid terrain for Thanksgiving weekend.

Follow SierraSun.com all winter long, and on Facebook, for weather and snow updates.


Support Local Journalism

 

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and beyond make the Sierra Sun's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.