“Unlike the last few years, this winter the Gulf of Alaska has been dominated by low pressure that has brought regular storms to the West Coast and we expect this to continue through at least the next week.”- NWS RENO

3 Storms for California by Christmas:

CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION ARE BEGINNING TO PUSH ONSHORE ACROSS NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA IN ASSOCIATION WITH AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH THAT WILL IMPACT THE REGION TODAY AND SATURDAY. MODEST SNOWFALL WILL BEGIN TO IMPACT WESTERN LASSEN AND PLUMAS COUNTIES LATE THIS AFTERNOON THEN TRACKS SOUTH ACROSS THE TAHOE BASIN TONIGHT. SNOW AMOUNTS WILL DIMINISH AS THE SYSTEM MOVES SOUTH THROUGH SIERRA IN MONO COUNTY THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.

ALTHOUGH THIS IS A WEAKER STORM IT WILL STILL CREATE PLENTY OF TRAVEL PROBLEMS FOR THOSE TRAVELING THROUGH THE SIERRA TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT AROUND 5500-6000 FEET TODAY THEN FALL TO NEAR 4500 FEET EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY BEGINS THIS AFTERNOON FOR LASSEN AND PLUMAS COUNTIES FOR AREAS WEST OF HIGHWAY 395 WHERE GENERALLY ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 8 INCHES IS POSSIBLE. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ACROSS THE TAHOE BASIN BEGINS THIS EVENING WHERE SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 5-10 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE SIERRA CREST AND DOWN
TO WEST OF HWY 89. 2 TO 5 INCHES POSSIBLE THROUGH THE REST OF THE TAHOE BASIN. LESSER AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MONO COUNTY THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON WHERE GENERALLY 3-6 INCHES IS EXPECTED WITH AN ADDITIONAL FEW INCHES POSSIBLE RIGHT ALONG THE CREST.

GUSTY WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 35-45 MPH POSSIBLE MAINLY THROUGH THE TAHOE BASIN AND NORTHWESTERN NEVADA. THIS WILL CREATE SOME CHOPPY AND POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS BOATING CONDITIONS ACROSS LAKE TAHOE.