The Gulf of Alaska storm forecasted to hit California will impact Tahoe today. The cold weather system will bring with it snowfall rates of 1-3″ per hour, 100mph winds and snow totals of up to 2 feet.
“Higher elevations of the northern Sierra and extreme southern Cascade Range will see accumulations approaching 2 feet.” – NOAA Sacramento, CA
WINTER STORM WARNING
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
…A COLD WINTER STORM WILL BRING HEAVY SNOW FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND INTO THE UPPER FOOTHILLS TODAY INTO WEDNESDAY…
.A WINTER STORM WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION TODAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT BELOW MAJOR SIERRA PASS LEVELS AND RAPIDLY LOWER THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND MAY REACH THE FOOTHILLS BY AFTERNOON. THE BRUNT OF THE STORM WILL MOVE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH SNOW SHOWERS LIKELY CONTINUING TO IMPACT THE FOOTHILLS ABOVE 2500 FEET THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.
* MAIN IMPACT: HEAVY SNOW WILL CAUSE MAJOR TRAVEL PROBLEMS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS. ROAD CLOSURES AND DELAYS LIKELY. DRIVING CONDITIONS NORMALLY SEEN ONLY NEAR PASS LEVELS WILL OCCUR AT MUCH LOWER ELEVATIONS.
* TIMING: SNOW BEGINNING THIS MORNING AND CONTINUING TONIGHT. HEAVIEST SNOW EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON. SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WITH SNOW LEVELS DROPPING TO AROUND 2000 FEET TONIGHT.
* LOCATIONS: LASSEN PARK SOUTH THROUGH THE WESTERN SLOPES OF THE SIERRA NEVADA AND THE ADJACENT FOOTHILLS.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 12 TO 22 INCHES ALONG THE CREST, 6 TO 12 INCHES ABOVE 4000 FEET, 2 TO 6 INCHES DOWN TO 2500 FEET.
* OTHER IMPACTS: LOW VISIBILITIES POSSIBLE IN HEAVY SNOWFALL. THERE COULD BE SNOWFALL RATES OF 1-2 INCHES PER HOUR AT TIMES.
