NOAA: Winter Weather Advisory for California | 6-14″ of Snow Forecast on Sunday

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday…

NOAA just released a Winter Weather Advisory for the Sierra Nevada mountains of California that includes the Lake Tahoe Basin, Mammoth, Yosemite, Lassen and more this Sunday.  A Gulf of Alaska storm will be sliding down to the Sierra Nevada on Sunday and dropping up to 14″ of snow on the Sierra crest with snow levels that will be around 5,000-feet during the bulk of the precipitation.

NOAA is forecasting 6-12″ of snow above 5,000-feet with up to 14″ of snow on the Sierra’s highest peaks with more snow favored to the North (ie Tahoe, Lassen).

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 6 TO 12 INCHES ABOVE 7000 FEET...WITH 10 TO
  14 INCHES POSSIBLE ALONG THE SIERRA CREST. BELOW 7000 FEET...3
  TO 6 INCHES...4 TO 8 INCHES POSSIBLE ALONG HIGHWAY 89. - NOAA Reno, NV today

The Mammoth, Yosemite, & Kings Canyon areas are forecast to see 3-10″ of snow on Sunday.

“3 to 7 inches of snow is expected with local amounts of up to 10 inches above 6000 feet. 1 to 2 inches of snow from 5000 feet to 6000 feet will also be expected.” – NOAA Hanford, CA

Snow levels will be around 5,000-feet during the bulk of the precipitation and will drop as low as 3,500-feet by the end of this storm.

Snow levels will drop from 6500-7500 feet Saturday night down to 4500-5500 Sunday and 3500 to 4500 feet Sunday night.” – NOAA Sacramento, CA today

The Lake Tahoe region could experience its first ski resort powder days this week as Tahoe will have 7 ski resorts open this weekend.  It’s been a long time since Tahoe has had this many ski resorts open this early in the season.

Mt. Rose and Boreal are currently open in Lake Tahoe and Mammoth is open in central California.   Alpine Meadows opened yesterday and Squaw will open on Saturday.  Northstar and Heavenly will open this weekend.  Kirkwood will open this weekend with the most terrain open in Lake Tahoe and the only expert terrain Tahoe.

(video showing the forecast timing of rain and snow for California on Sunday.  Video has no sound)

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**Special Note:  Please be careful if you head into the backcountry after this snowfall.  It’s been a mess out there with literally hundreds of people skiing the same zones with major lack of avalanche etiquette. 

A skier was partially buried in an avalanche near Kirkwood on Wednesday after taking a 150-foot ride.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY for CALIFORNIA:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
1243 PM PST FRI NOV 13 2015

GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SOUTH LAKE TAHOE...TAHOE CITY...
TRUCKEE...MARKLEEVILLE...GLENBROOK...INCLINE VILLAGE

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 10 PM PST
SUNDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RENO HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 10 PM PST SUNDAY.

* TIMING: A COLD FRONT WILL BRING A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY
  SNOW TO THE TAHOE BASIN ON SUNDAY. SNOW SHOWERS ARE LIKELY TO
  PERSIST INTO SUNDAY EVENING.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 6 TO 12 INCHES ABOVE 7000 FEET...WITH 10 TO
  14 INCHES POSSIBLE ALONG THE SIERRA CREST. BELOW 7000 FEET...3
  TO 6 INCHES...4 TO 8 INCHES POSSIBLE ALONG HIGHWAY 89.

* SNOW LEVELS: BELOW 6000 FEET.

* IMPACTS: TRAVEL DELAYS DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITY AND SNOW
  COVERED ROADS FOR DONNER SUMMIT...ECHO PASS...CARSON
  PASS...SPOONER SUMMIT AND DAGGET PASS. SLICK ROADS AROUND THE
  TAHOE BASIN INCLUDING HIGHWAYS 28...89 AND 50.