Image By Steve Jurvetson
The first “winter like” weather system of the season is headed for the Tahoe region. The storm will arrive Sunday afternoon and last until sometime Tuesday. It will bring with it 100mph ridge top winds, heavy snowfall, and snow levels as low as 5,000-feet. As for this afternoon, 3-8″ of snow is expected down to 5,000-feet by Monday evening.
NOAA’s WINTER STORM WATCH TODAY:
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
…A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE SUNDAY NIGHT
THROUGH LATE MONDAY NIGHT…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HANFORD HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORMÂ WATCH FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARKÂ TO KINGS CANYON. THE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR FROM LATE SUNDAYÂ NIGHT THROUGH LATE MONDAY NIGHT FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 7000 FEET.
* HAZARD TYPES…HEAVY SNOW
* ACCUMULATIONS…8 TO 16 INCHES ABOVE 7000 FEET. SNOW LEVELS WILLÂ LOWER TO 5000 FEET BY MONDAY EVENING WHERE ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE.
* TIMING…THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED MONDAY INTO MONDAY EVENING.
* IMPACTS…SLICK…SNOW COVERED ROADS AND WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS…POSSIBLE ROAD CLOSURES…BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ACCOMPANIED BY WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES AS LOW AS THE TEENS BY MONDAY EVENING.
Weather Maps From NOAA
It looks as though the higher snowfall amounts will be on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. The Sierra Crest is forecast to get about 12″ of snow. Mt Rose, in north Lake Tahoe, is forecast to get around a foot or more of new snow by Monday as well.
The deeper snowfall will be found in the southern Sierra.  Sonora and Tioga Passes down near Yosemite is forecasted to pick up to 16″ of snow.