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May snow showers hit Truckee Tahoe region; cold temps expected for next week

Castle Peak was hit with May snowfall this past week. Snowfall in May isn't unusual for the region, according to the National Weather Service, which said there have been trace amounts of snow or more reported in Tahoe City in 80 of 109 years of recorded history for the month.
Courtesy of California Department of Transportation

Storms have returned to the Sierra Nevada, and are forecast to continue impacting the Truckee-Tahoe area through next week.

The latest round of storms have brought rain to the region, and enough snow at higher elevations to result in the California Department of Transportation placing chain controls in both directions on Interstate 80 during the early hours of Thursday morning.

The California Highway Patrol reported multiple accidents on the interstate Thursday morning, resulting in the temporary closure of the eastbound lane at Nyack.



Squaw Valley Alpine meadows reported 7 inches of new snow at Squaw’s upper mountain as of early Thursday, with more falling throughout the morning.

By Friday, Squaw could see 6 to 12 inches at its upper mountain, according to OpenSnow forecaster Bryan Allegretto.



As the storm entered the area, it dumped nearly a half inch of rain at Truckee Tahoe Airport, according to the National Weather Service in Reno, while Tahoe City has received a reported 0.77 inches of rain as of Thursday morning. Wind gusts as high as 98 mph have been reported at Alpine Summit.

“An unusual and persistent weather pattern will continue to send cold Pacific storms into California and Nevada through next week,” said the weather service in a statement.

The current weather pattern is more typical for early March rather than late May, according to the weather service, which also said to expect periods of rain, mountain snow, and strong wind gusts.

The next wave of showers is forecast to move into the Sierra Thursday afternoon and into the night, and is expected to bring additional snow, likely impacting travel.

After a break on Friday and into Saturday, the weather service is forecasting another storm, which is expected to sweep through Saturday night and into Sunday morning with more valley rain, mountain snow, and gusty conditions.

Temperatures in Truckee this weekend are forecast to stay below 50 degrees with lows in the 20s.

The weather service said additional storms are possible through next week with temperatures expected to remain below normal.

Justin Scacco is a reporter for the Sierra Sun. Contact him at jscacco@sierrasun.com.


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