Highways to Tahoe close as consecutive winter storms could bring 8 feet of snow this week

Tahoe ski resorts will be ringing in the new year with plenty of fresh powder as consecutive winter storm systems in the coming week could dump as much as 8 feet of new snow on the northern Sierra Nevada.

A winter storm warning is in effect until 4 a.m. Sunday for areas around Lake Tahoe, including Truckee and South Lake Tahoe, and most of western Nevada.

An atmospheric river rolling over Northern California brought more than a foot of snow to the Tahoe ridgelines overnight, with another 2 to 3 feet expected to drop at elevations above 7,000 feet by Sunday morning.

But the snow won’t stop there.

On Monday, a weaker storm system is forecast to bring up to 8 inches of snow to the mountaintops followed by a more powerful winter weather event that could produce another 3 to 4 feet.

While that may sound like the perfect opportunity to hit the slopes, that may not necessarily be the case.

Forecasters on Saturday were advising people to avoid traveling to Tahoe unless necessary.

“Travel will be very difficult, if not impossible,” said Chris Johnston, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno. “If you must travel, prepare for delays and carry an emergency pack.”

The heavy snow and high winds prompted several ski resorts to shut down early on Saturday, including Sierra-at-Tahoe, Northstar and Heavenly Ski Resort. Heavenly reported multiple downed power lines on the mountain due to the powerful winds and heavy snow.

Heavy rain and snowfall Saturday in the northern Sierra Nevada made travel to the Lake Tahoe region so treacherous that officials closed off nearly every major eastbound thoroughfare at some point on Saturday.

Caltrans closed off Highway 50 in both directions Saturday morning due to flooding. Multiple spinouts on Interstate 80 prompted officials to halt eastbound traffic in the afternoon at Emigrant Gap. Officials also closed off Highway 49, Highway 89 along the west side of Lake Tahoe and State Route 88, also known as Carson Pass Highway, out of avalanche concerns.

This story was originally published December 31, 2022 at 3:06 PM.