Weather
NOAA is forecasting the strong Gulf of Alaska storm they’ve been tracking the past week to hit California hard tomorrow with snowfall rates from 1-3″ per hour between 11am and 5pm. NOAA does not recommend travel in the Sierra during this time.
NOAA currently has a Winter Storm Warning issued for the west slope and Sierra crest, a Winter Weather Advisory issued for the east slope of the Sierra, and a Winter Weather Advisory for the Coast and Cascade ranges.
This storm is forecast to be a doozy with:
- Coldest air since January 2013
- 1-3″ per hour snowfall rates on Tuesday (see image below)
- 12-18″ of snow for the high country
- 100mph winds
- Snow ratios as high as 20:1
- Lake effect snow for the east side of Lake Tahoe
This storm is forecast to bring the coldest weather to California since January 2013.
THIS WILL THE BE COLDEST AIR THUS FAR THIS SEASON AND POSSIBLY THE COLDEST PERIOD OF WEATHER SINCE JANUARY 2013. - NOAA Reno, NV today
NOAA is forecasting this storm to bring 6-18″ of snowfall to Lake Tahoe with snow levels as low as 1,500-feet.
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...12 TO 18 INCHES ALONG THE CREST...6 TO 12 INCHES ABOVE 4000 FEET....2 TO 6 INCHES ABOVE 2000 FEET FOR THE MOTHERLODE WITH...1 TO 4 INCHES EXPECTED FOR THE NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS. LOCALLY SNOW MAY FALL AS LOW AS 1500 FEET. - NOAA Reno, NV today
Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite do not have any advisories but are forecast to see around 6-12″ of snow.
THE HIGH SIERRA COULD RECEIVE A FOOT OR MORE WITH 4 TO 6 INCHES IN MAMMOTH LAKES OVER A 30 HOUR PERIOD. - NOAA Reno, NV today
Winds are forecast to gust as high as 100pm on Sierra ridges with up to 50pmh sustained winds.
RIDGE GUSTS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 100 MPH ALONG THE SIERRA CREATING TURBULENT CONDITIONS FOR AIR TRAVELERS. - NOAA Reno, NV today
NOAA is feeling confident in lake effect snow hitting the east shore of Lake Tahoe and boosting their snowfall number. This is great news for Mt. Rose ski area.
ADDITIONALLY, LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL BE LIKELY. - NOAA Reno, NV today
There are 12 ski resorts open in California right now (& 1 in Lake Tahoe, NV). The resorts further north (higher on this list) have a strong chance of seeing some dry, blower powder this week.
- Boreal
- Sugar Bowl (will open on Thursday)
- Squaw Valley
- Alpine Meadows
- Northstar
- Mt. Rose, NV
- Heavenly
- Sierra-at-Tahoe
- Kirkwood
- Mammoth
- Mountain High
- Snow Summit
- Big Bear
WINTER STORM WARNING for CALIFORNIA
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 347 AM PST MON NOV 23 2015 ...A COLD WINTER STORM WILL BRING LOW ELEVATION SNOW... .A WINTER STORM WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION ON TUESDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT BELOW MAJOR SIERRA PASS LEVELS AND RAPIDLY LOWER THROUGHOUT THE DAY. SNOW MAY START FALLING IN THE MOTHERLODE AS EARLY AS THE AFTERNOON. THE BRUNT OF THE STORM WILL MOVE THROUGH ON TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING WITH SNOW SHOWERS LIKELY CONTINUING TO IMPACT PARTS OF THE MOTHERLODE THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...12 TO 18 INCHES ALONG THE CREST...6 TO 12 INCHES ABOVE 4000 FEET....2 TO 6 INCHES ABOVE 2000 FEET FOR THE MOTHERLODE WITH...1 TO 4 INCHES EXPECTED FOR THE NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS. LOCALLY SNOW MAY FALL AS LOW AS 1500 FEET. MOTHERLODE-WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK- WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GRASS VALLEY...JACKSON...CHESTER... QUINCY...BLUE CANYON ...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING... * MAIN IMPACT: MAJOR TRAVEL PROBLEMS EXPECTED. ROAD CLOSURES AND DELAYS LIKELY. DRIVING CONDITIONS NORMALLY SEEN ONLY NEAR PASS LEVELS WILL OCCUR AT MUCH LOWER ELEVATIONS. * CONFIDENCE...HIGH FOR UPPER ELEVATIONS...MEDIUM FOR FOOTHILLS. * TIMING...HIGH * LOCATIONS...LASSEN PARK SOUTH THROUGH THE WESTERN SLOPES OF THE SIERRA NEVADA * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...12 TO 18 INCHES ALONG THE CREST 6 TO 12 INCHES ABOVE 4000 FEET....2 TO 6 INCHES ABOVE 2000 FEET.
WINTER STORM WATCH for CALIFORNIA:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 347 AM PST MON NOV 23 2015 ...A COLD WINTER STORM WILL BRING LOW ELEVATION SNOW... .A WINTER STORM WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION ON TUESDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT BELOW MAJOR SIERRA PASS LEVELS AND RAPIDLY LOWER THROUGHOUT THE DAY. SNOW MAY START FALLING IN THE MOTHERLODE AS EARLY AS THE AFTERNOON. THE BRUNT OF THE STORM WILL MOVE THROUGH ON TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING WITH SNOW SHOWERS LIKELY CONTINUING TO IMPACT PARTS OF THE MOTHERLODE THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...12 TO 18 INCHES ALONG THE CREST...6 TO 12 INCHES ABOVE 4000 FEET....2 TO 6 INCHES ABOVE 2000 FEET FOR THE MOTHERLODE WITH...1 TO 4 INCHES EXPECTED FOR THE NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS. LOCALLY SNOW MAY FALL AS LOW AS 1500 FEET. MOTHERLODE-WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK- WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GRASS VALLEY...JACKSON...CHESTER... QUINCY...BLUE CANYON ...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING... * MAIN IMPACT: MAJOR TRAVEL PROBLEMS EXPECTED. ROAD CLOSURES AND DELAYS LIKELY. DRIVING CONDITIONS NORMALLY SEEN ONLY NEAR PASS LEVELS WILL OCCUR AT MUCH LOWER ELEVATIONS. * CONFIDENCE...HIGH FOR UPPER ELEVATIONS...MEDIUM FOR FOOTHILLS. * TIMING...HIGH * LOCATIONS...LASSEN PARK SOUTH THROUGH THE WESTERN SLOPES OF THE SIERRA NEVADA * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...12 TO 18 INCHES ALONG THE CREST 6 TO 12 INCHES ABOVE 4000 FEET....2 TO 6 INCHES ABOVE 2000 FEET.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT for CALIFORNIA:
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV 330 AM PST MON NOV 23 2015 SURPRISE VALLEY CALIFORNIA-LASSEN-EASTERN PLUMAS- EASTERN SIERRA COUNTIES-GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA-MONO- MINERAL AND SOUTHERN LYON COUNTIES-GREATER RENO-CARSON CITY- MINDEN AREA-WESTERN NEVADA BASIN AND RANGE INCLUDING PYRAMID LAKE- NORTHERN WASHOE COUNTY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CEDARVILLE...EAGLEVILLE... FORT BIDWELL...PORTOLA...SUSANVILLE...WESTWOOD...SIERRAVILLE... LOYALTON...SOUTH LAKE TAHOE...TAHOE CITY...TRUCKEE... MARKLEEVILLE...BRIDGEPORT...COLEVILLE...LEE VINING... MAMMOTH LAKES...HAWTHORNE...YERINGTON...SMITH VALLEY...MINA... SCHURZ...GLENBROOK...INCLINE VILLAGE...SPARKS...VERDI... GARDNERVILLE...VIRGINIA CITY...FERNLEY...FALLON...LOVELOCK... SILVER SPRINGS...NIXON...IMLAY...EMPIRE...GERLACH ...TRAVEL IMPACTS LIKELY FOR THE UPCOMING HOLIDAY... AN UNUSUALLY COLD WINTER STORM FOR LATE NOVEMBER WILL MOVE INTO THE SIERRA AND WESTERN NEVADA TUESDAY THEN LINGER THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. WINDS: EARLY TUESDAY STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS COULD CREATE SIGNIFICANT TURBULENCE FOR ANYONE FLYING IN FOR THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY. STRONG CROSS WINDS OF 50 MPH OR MORE ARE ALSO POSSIBLE ALONG HIGHWAY 395 MAKING TRAVEL HAZARDOUS FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. SNOW: A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP SOUTH DURING THE DAY TUESDAY AND USHER IN MUCH COLDER AIR ALONG WITH PERIODS OF SNOW INTO WEDNESDAY. SNOW LEVELS MAY FALL AS LOW AS 2000 FEET LEADING TO A SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER COMMUTE TIME FOR THOSE TRAVELING DOWN THE WESTERN SIERRA SLOPES AND ACROSS MUCH WESTERN NEVADA. IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA...ONE FOOT OR MORE OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE FROM TUESDAY THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY. IN THE SIERRA VALLEYS...5 TO 10 INCHES IS POSSIBLE. IN THE LOWER VALLEYS OF NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND WESTERN NEVADA UP TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE. THOSE WITH TRAVEL PLANS IN THE SIERRA SHOULD CONSIDER ALTERNATE ROUTES AND DEPARTURE TIMES. COLD: MUCH COLDER AIR SETTLES OVER THE REGION FROM TUESDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. HIGHS ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN IN THE 20S IN THE SIERRA VALLEYS AND UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S ACROSS WESTERN NEVADA AND NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA. THIS WILL THE BE COLDEST AIR THUS FAR THIS SEASON AND POSSIBLY THE COLDEST PERIOD OF WEATHER SINCE JANUARY 2013. PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE MADE EARLY TO PROTECT POORLY INSULATED WATER LINES...LIVESTOCK AND OUTDOOR PETS FROM COLD RELATED PROBLEMS. THOSE HEADING OUTDOORS SHOULD DRESS PROPERLY...WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS MAY FALL AS LOW AS 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO.
