“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 ACROSSÂ NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA IN ASSOCIATION WITH AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGHÂ THAT WILL IMPACT THE REGION TODAY AND SATURDAY. MODEST SNOWFALLÂ WILL BEGIN TO IMPACT WESTERN LASSEN AND PLUMAS COUNTIES LATE THISÂ AFTERNOON THEN TRACKS SOUTH ACROSS THE TAHOE BASIN TONIGHT. SNOWÂ AMOUNTS WILL DIMINISH AS THE SYSTEM MOVES SOUTH THROUGH SIERRA INÂ MONO COUNTY THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.
ALTHOUGH THIS IS A WEAKER STORM IT WILL STILL CREATE PLENTY OFÂ TRAVEL PROBLEMS FOR THOSE TRAVELING THROUGH THE SIERRA TONIGHTÂ AND SATURDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT AROUND 5500-6000 FEETÂ TODAY THEN FALL TO NEAR 4500 FEET EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. A WINTERÂ WEATHER ADVISORY BEGINS THIS AFTERNOON FOR LASSEN AND PLUMASÂ COUNTIES FOR AREAS WEST OF HIGHWAY 395 WHERE GENERALLYÂ ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 8 INCHES IS POSSIBLE. THE WINTER WEATHERÂ ADVISORY ACROSS THE TAHOE BASIN BEGINS THIS EVENING WHERE SNOWFALLÂ 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 THEÂ TAHOE BASIN. LESSER AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MONO COUNTYÂ THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON WHERE GENERALLY 3-6 INCHES IS EXPECTEDÂ WITH AN ADDITIONAL FEW INCHES POSSIBLE RIGHT ALONG THE CREST.
GUSTY WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON WITH WIND GUSTS UP TOÂ 35-45 MPH POSSIBLE MAINLY THROUGH THE TAHOE BASIN AND NORTHWESTERNÂ NEVADA. THIS WILL CREATE SOME CHOPPY AND POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUSÂ BOATING CONDITIONS ACROSS LAKE TAHOE.