Gulf of Alaska Storm To Hit Lake Tahoe, CA This Weekend | Up to 12″ of Snow Forecast

NOAA is currently tracking a cold Gulf of Alaska storm that will be dropping down from Alaska, swallowing up a weaker storm on its way, and slamming into northern California this weekend.  This storm is forecast to be much colder than this past weekend’s storm in California with higher snow ratios and lower snow levels.

THIS STORM WILL BE COLDER THAN THE LAST STORM THAT JUST PASSED 
WITH HIGHER SNOW RATIOS OVERALL AS THE THIS STORM IS ORIGINATING 
FROM FROM THE GULF OF ALASKA. - NOAA Reno, NV

Right now, NOAA is calling for up to 12″ of snow for the Sierra Nevada mountains of northern California including Lake Tahoe, CA by Monday.

SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ARE LIKELY FOR THE SIERRA, WITH POSSIBLY UP
TO A FOOT ALONG THE SIERRA CREST WEST OF TAHOE THROUGH MONDAY. 
- NOAA Reno, NV

Snow levels will start out high, but will come “crashing” down to around 4,000-feet by Monday.

WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY FOR THE
SIERRA ON MONDAY AND MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE FOR THE VALLEY FLOORS
IN WESTERN NEVADA AS SNOW LEVELS CRASH DOWN TO NEAR 4000 FEET. 
- NOAA Reno, NV today

Bryan Allegretto thinks we might even see up to 15″ of snow in spots in Tahoe.

 6-9 inches above 7000 feet, and 8-12 inches above 8000 feet West side of the basin.  Maybe up to 15 inches on a mountain West of the crest.” – Bryan Allegretto/OpenSnow.com

Last weekend’s storm brought big snow to California dropping up to 30″ of snow at Mammoth and 12″ at Squaw.  This weekend’s storm is more focused on NorCal and we’re hoping to see another 12″ of snow in  Tahoe.

Mammoth opened for the season today.  Mt. Rose in Lake Tahoe, NV opened yesterday.  Boreal in Lake Tahoe, CA opens tomorrow.

NOAA’s STORM FORECAST DISCUSSION TODAY:

THE NEXT EARLY SEASON STORM WILL PUSH INTO THE REGION SUNDAY AND
MONDAY, BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW. FORECASTER CONFIDENCE IS
HIGH CONSIDERING THE STORM, ALTHOUGH TOTAL QPF AND SNOW AMOUNTS
MAY STILL CHANGE BETWEEN NOW AND THEN. BREEZY WINDS ARE EXPECTED
FOR SUNDAY AS THE 700MB WINDS INCREASE TO NEAR 45KTS. LATEST
MODEL TRENDS SHOW AN INITIAL ROUND OF SNOW THAT WILL PUSH THROUGH
THE TAHOE AREA ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

BY SUNDAY NIGHT, THE MAIN SHORTWAVE PUSHES IN WITH HEAVIER
PRECIPITATION IN THE SIERRA, THEN SPILLING OVER INTO WESTERN
NEVADA BY MONDAY MORNING AS THE COLD FRONT PASSES. THIS STORM
WILL BE COLDER THAN THE LAST STORM THAT JUST PASSED WITH HIGHER
SNOW RATIOS OVERALL AS THE THIS STORM IS ORIGINATING FROM FROM
THE GULF OF ALASKA. WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY FOR THE
SIERRA ON MONDAY AND MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE FOR THE VALLEY FLOORS
IN WESTERN NEVADA AS SNOW LEVELS CRASH DOWN TO NEAR 4000 FEET.
SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ARE LIKELY FOR THE SIERRA, WITH POSSIBLY UP
TO A FOOT ALONG THE SIERRA CREST WEST OF TAHOE THROUGH MONDAY.
FOR WESTERN NEVADA, FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS LOWER IN SNOW AMOUNTS,
BUT WILL LIKELY WILL BE LESS THAN A COUPLE INCHES. - NOAA Reno, NV today