Winter Weather Advisory for California Tomorrow | 6-14″ of Snow & 95mph Winds Forecast

**Update:  at 6:40pm PST today, NOAA updated snowfall rates to be 1-3″ per hour in the Lake Tahoe region tomorrow morning from 7am-1pm creating zero visibility. 

NOAA is reporting that the Gulf of Alaska storm they’ve been tracking all week is still on track to hit California tomorrow.  NOAA has issued a Winter Weather Advisory that begins tomorrow at 4am, lasts for 18 hours, and is forecasting 6-12″ of snow for the Sierras.  The Advisory was expanded to include the Grapevine pass on highway 5 in southern California this morning (see map 4 images down).

“A Gulf of Alaska weather system is still on track to impact Northern California on Sunday. In addition to respectable Valley rain totals, up to a foot of snow is expected across a wide swath of the Sierra and Lassen Park, as shown in this graphic.” – NOAA Sacramento, CA today

Snow totals are forecast to be 6-12″ of snow above 7,000-feet with up to 14″ of snow on the Sierra crest.  3-8″ of snow are forecast for the Lake Tahoe Basin.

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

The Mammoth area is forecast to see about the same snow totals as Tahoe with 3-7″ of snow in town and 6-12″ of snow on the Sierra Crest.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 6 TO 12 INCHES MAINLY IN BACKCOUNTRY AREAS
  ALONG THE SIERRA CREST. 3 TO 7 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE
  MAMMOTH LAKES AND JUNE LAKE AREA...WITH 4 INCHES OR LESS ALONG
  AND EAST OF HIGHWAY 395. - NOAA Hanford, CA today

Snow levels are forecast to be around 5,000-feet with this storm with only snow falling above 6,000-feet by Sunday morning when the bulk of the precipitation is forecast to come through the Sierras.

* SNOW LEVELS: QUICKLY DROPPING BELOW 6000 FEET SUNDAY MORNING.
- NOAA Reno, NV 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 on Thursday and Squaw opens today.  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.

***

**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
300 AM PST SAT NOV 14 2015

GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SOUTH LAKE TAHOE...TAHOE CITY...
TRUCKEE...MARKLEEVILLE...GLENBROOK...INCLINE VILLAGE
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 10 PM
PST SUNDAY...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS 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...UP TO 14
  INCHES POSSIBLE ALONG THE SIERRA CREST. BELOW 7000 FEET...3 TO 6
  INCHES...UP TO 8 INCHES POSSIBLE ALONG AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 89.

* SNOW LEVELS: QUICKLY DROPPING BELOW 6000 FEET SUNDAY MORNING.

* WINDS: SOUTHWEST 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH SUNDAY
  MORNING. SIERRA RIDGE GUSTS UP TO 95 MPH.

* IMPACTS: EXPECT TRAVEL DELAYS DUE TO POOR 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.