Lake Tahoe is finally coming alive after it’s driest start to the season on record. Â Squaw just got 14″ in the past 4 days, up to 6 inches of snow is forecasted this week, and an atmospheric river is on tap for this weekend.
A cold system from Canada will bring cool temperatures and some showers to the area from Wednesday through Friday. Total snow accumulations up to around 5 inches are possible, with some snow down to around 2500 feet. A potentially much wetter storm arrives this weekend, with Pacific moisture streaming into the region, possibly continuing into early next week. This could bring rainfall of 1 to 2 inches to the Valley, with more moisture into the higher terrain, in the form of rain and snow. – NOAA Sacramento, CA
NOAA’s Long Range Forecast Discussion goes into a bit more detail below. Â If all the stars align, Tahoe could get big snow.
  NOAA’s Long Range Forecast Discussion:
A MILD MOISTURE TAP REACHES THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST SATURDAY, ATTRIBUTED TO A THIN ATMOSPHERIC RIVER ORIGINATING WEST OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. THIS WILL BRING COPIOUS CLOUD COVER AND WILL MODERATE TEMPERATURES, RAISING SNOW LEVELS FOR THE WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK. THERE IS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE SITTING OFF THE COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA WHICH MAY COMBINE WITH THIS MOISTURE TAP, BUT WOULD PREFER THE LOW TO BE FARTHER SOUTH, CLOSER TO THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER, WHICH WOULD BE A BETTER HEAVY SNOWFALL PATTERN FOR THE SIERRA. THE WAY MODELS ARE FORECASTING THIS MOISTURE TAP, APPEARS THAT THE SIERRA NORTH OF TAHOE INTO THE SOUTHERN CASCADES WILL BE IN THE BEST POSITION TO RECEIVE THE BULK OF THE MOISTURE. CURRENTLY IT APPEARS THIS WILL END UP BEING A SNOW EVENT IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH RAIN IN VALLEYS. AT THIS TIME IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL IF THIS WILL END UP BEING A SIGNIFICANT EVENT FOR THE SIERRA, BUT IT IS SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE ON FOR NEXT WEEKEND AND INTO THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
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