Winter storm expected to hit Tahoe and California’s Sierra could bring 3 feet of snow
A winter storm could bring between 1 and 3 feet of snow in areas of Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada with an elevation of at least 5,500 feet early this week, the National Weather Service advised Sunday. The winter storm warning is in effect from 1 p.m. Monday until 10 a.m. Wednesday.
The near white-out conditions could come with wind gusts between 60-70 mph, the weather service said announcing the winter storm warning. The highest peaks could see 5 feet of snow, according to the forecast.
The weather service discouraged travel in the region and said the storm could lead to road closures, chain controls and major travel delays. The weather service said the heaviest snowfall is expected to start late Monday and continue into Tuesday, with snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour expected.
The weather service said gusty conditions were forecast to strengthen Tuesday, with the strongest winds expected over the northeastern foothills and mountain passes. As of midday Sunday, NWS Sacramento reported the peak wind gust reached 57 mph at Jarbo Gap.
Over the weekend, much of the Sacramento area received less than an inch of rain. Surrounding areas saw more precipitation: Placerville received 2.18 inches, Auburn received 1.91 inches and Colfax received 2.56 inches.
The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab reported on Saturday morning that the survey station recorded 6.7 inches of snowfall in the previous 24 hours. The precipitation was the first recorded since Jan. 4. As of early Sunday morning, the CSSL’s snow depth was 46 inches.
The California-Nevada River Forecast Center reported that Palisades Tahoe received 6 inches and Heavenly Mountain Resort received 7 inches in the last 72 hours.
