TRUCKEE, Calif. — A cold winter storm expected to enter the Truckee-Tahoe region on Monday will bring light snow, strong winds and a big thermometer swing.

West to northwest winds will begin to increase Monday afternoon which has led the National Weather Service in Reno to issue a lake wind advisory that goes into effect at 2 p.m. and lasts for eight hours.

Wind gusts could reach up to 45 mph, higher in wind prone locations, creating waves up to 4 feet and hazardous conditions for small boats. The high temp will be in the low 50s, before plummeting 20-25 degrees on Tuesday.

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Snow showers are expected to develop Monday night through Tuesday evening but the service is only calling for a few inches of snow, which would be enough to impact travel.

The overnight low is expected to be in the low teens with the high on Tuesday not expected to reach freezing. With north wind gusts up to 20 mph, the temps will feel even colder.

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The overnight low on Tuesday is expected to be in the single digits with Wednesday’s high again struggling to get above freezing.

“Bundle up Tuesday and Wednesday and be sure to protect vulnerable populations as well as pets,” the service said in a special statement. “Allow extra time for the morning commute Tuesday, especially if you live near or south of Interstate 80.”

Wednesday’s overnight low is again expected to be in the single digits with the high temps starting to rebound close to seasonal averages (high of 43, low of 19) on Thursday (40), Friday (41) and Saturday (42).

The record lows for Tuesday and Wednesday in South Lake Tahoe are minus-7 and minus-6 set in 1989 and 1990, respectively.

For Tahoe City, the record lows for the dates are minus-6 and minus-5, respectively, set in 1911.

Bill Rozak is editor for the Sierra Sun. He may be reached at brozak@swiftcom.com.