Weather
This forecast was created at 8 a.m. PST on January 1, 2026.
California stays in an active, on-and-off storm cycle through Tuesday night, with a small New Year’s Day round followed by a much stronger, windier weekend storm that stacks up significant Sierra snowfall and then tapers into lighter leftovers early next week. Snow levels generally start on the higher side at the onset of each wave, then trend lower with time, so snow quality improves after the initial dense rounds; the extended outlook keeps the overall pattern on the stormy side into the Jan 6–10 window before trending closer to seasonal precipitation in the Jan 8–14 period.
New Year’s Day Wave (Wed night–Thu night) brings mainly high-elevation snow with improving snow levels through the day. This first round is modest but helpful for the higher terrain, with snow levels dropping from roughly the 8,000+ foot neighborhood early toward about 6,500 to 7,000 feet by later Thursday, favoring upper-mountain accumulation while lower bases flirt with mixed precipitation at times. Snow quality starts out dense (SLRs generally around 6–9:1 in many spots), but trends toward more moderate snow by Thursday night (often closer to 10–13:1). Totals are on the lighter side, generally a few inches, with Mammoth and Kirkwood doing best in this early window. Winds are noticeable, especially on exposed ridgelines, but the bigger wind impacts arrive with the weekend system.
Weekend Main Event (Fri night–Sun night, lingering into Mon) is the headline, delivering widespread Sierra snow with strong winds and a gradual drop in snow levels. Snow ramps up late Friday night, then stays active through the weekend, with snow levels starting around about 6,500 to 7,500 feet before dropping closer to roughly 4,600 to 5,000 feet by late Sunday into early Monday at many Sierra locations. That evolution means the earliest part of the storm skis denser (many periods in the 5–8:1 range, especially around Tahoe), while later storm phases improve into more respectable quality (often 9–13:1), and Mammoth trends even lighter at times (periods pushing into the mid-teens). Open Tahoe resorts are the big winners in this storm, with upper-mountain totals commonly landing in the 28″–44″ range at the standouts. Expect the windiest stretch on Saturday, when gusts become disruptive at higher elevations.
Early-Week Leftovers plus a Southern California Brush (Sun night–Mon night) keep snow chances going, but with generally smaller add-ons after the weekend peak. After the heavier weekend snowfall, lighter wraparound and additional minor surges continue into Monday and Tuesday, adding a few more inches in some areas while winds ease and temperatures cool enough for better snow ratios (many spots settling into roughly 11–16:1 at times). Down south, Mount Baldy picks up a small shot (1″–2″) Sunday night into Monday night with snow levels around 6,600 to 7,100 feet, but snow quality stays quite dense (around 6–7:1) and the resort is temporarily closed, so this one is more about rebuilding coverage than immediate turns. Looking beyond Tuesday night, the Jan 6–10 window leans wetter than normal with near-normal temperatures, suggesting more storm opportunities statewide, while the Jan 8–14 period trends closer to seasonal precipitation, hinting at a more variable, on-and-off cadence.
Resort Forecast Totals
- Bear Valley – 29″–45″ total (3″–4″ Thu (01/01) – Thu night (01/01) + 26″–41″ Fri night (01/02) – Tue night (01/06))
- Kirkwood – 29″–44″ total (4″ Wed night (12/31) – Thu night (01/01) + 26″–40″ Fri night (01/02) – Tue night (01/06))
- Sugar Bowl – 28″–43″ total (2″ Thu (01/01) – Thu night (01/01) + 26″–41″ Fri night (01/02) – Tue (01/06))
- Mammoth – 26″–39″ total (4″–5″ Thu (01/01) – Thu night (01/01) + 22″–34″ Fri night (01/02) – Tue night (01/06))
- Dodge Ridge – 25″–38″ total (2″–3″ Thu (01/01) – Thu night (01/01) + 22″–35″ Fri night (01/02) – Tue night (01/06))
- Palisades Tahoe – 25″–38″ total (1″–2″ Thu (01/01) – Thu night (01/01) + 23″–37″ Fri night (01/02) – Tue (01/06))
- Northstar – 15″–23″ Fri night (01/02) – Tue (01/06)
- Mt Rose – 10″–16″ Fri night (01/02) – Tue (01/06)
- Diamond Peak – 10″–15″ Fri night (01/02) – Tue (01/06)
- Heavenly – 9″–14″ Fri night (01/02) – Tue (01/06)
- Mount Baldy – 1″–2″ Sun night (01/04) – Mon night (01/05)
