The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning and an Avalanche Warning for the Sierra Nevada that is in effect until 4:00pm Tuesday afternoon. Blizzard conditions are possible Sunday night into Tuesday morning.
The winter storm is forecasted to drop as much as 5-10 feet of snow above 7,000 feet by Tuesday. High winds and blizzard conditions could build snow drifts of over 10 feet.
Winter Storm Warning
...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST TUESDAY... * CHANGES...None. Re-issuance for headline wording. * WHAT...Heavy snow and gusty winds expected. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 6 feet at lake level, with 5 to 10 feet above 7000 feet expected. Snow drifts could be deeper than 10 feet. Winds gusting as high as 50 mph Sunday afternoon into Monday with gusts to 100 mph over ridges. A period of blizzard conditions is possible Sunday night into Tuesday morning. * WHERE...Greater Lake Tahoe Area. * WHEN...From 4 PM this afternoon to 4 PM PST Tuesday. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Travel could be very difficult to impossible. The hazardous conditions will impact commuting and ski resort travel. Strong winds could cause tree damage and near zero visibility.
Avalanche Warning
“In addition to the Winter Storm Watches/Warnings in our area, we also have Avalanche Watches/Warnings out:
An Avalanche Watch has been issued by the Sierra Avalanche Centerfor the Central Sierra Nevada including the Tahoe Basin from 7am Saturday through 7am Tuesday. For more details go to www.sierraavalanchecenter.org.
An Avalanche Warning has been issued by the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center for the Sierra Nevada in Mono and Inyo counties including the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range between Virginia Lakes on the north to Bishop Creek on the south from 7 AM PST Saturday to 7 AM PST Tuesday. For more details go to www.esavalanche.org“
–Â US National Weather Service Reno Nevada
