NOAA is anticipating a storm to hit California on Thursday that is forecast to drop 6-12″ of snow in the high country of Lake Tahoe. NOAA is currently forecasting more snow for Tahoe than for Mammoth & Yosemite.
A quick look at the upcoming week’s weather: We are not expecting much precipitation until Thursday, when a storm system in the western Pacific reaches the western US coast. Currently this looks like a fast moving system producing a short period of precipitation, with moderate snow amounts possible for the Sierra, and lighter snow and rain for lower elevations. Gusty winds are also expected Thursday as this storm approaches.” – NOAA Reno, NV today
The current California snowpack is below average.
- Northern Sierra = 47% of average to date
- Central Sierra (Tahoe) = 70% of average to date
- Southern Sierra (Mammoth) = 78% of average to date
El Nino isn’t forecast to affect California’s winter weather patterns until January. Fingers crossed.
“El Nino is a state of the ocean, where temperatures are much warmer than normal in certain areas. Yes, the ocean is certainly very warm, now we are waiting for the atmosphere over the Pacific to respond. This typically occurs in January and lasts through early spring. The last strong El Nino occurred in 1998 and it didn’t get really wet until February.“ – NOAA Hanford, CA today
El Nino Won’t Show Up in California Until January Meteorologist Says
