With Christmas holiday travelers hitting the road, Tuesday will be the best time to drive as heavy snow is expected to barrel down beginning later that night and extending through Friday morning, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a Winter Storm Warning for Lake Tahoe and Sierra.
As of Monday, the Sierra is under a Winter Weather Advisory, but that will change into the Winter Storm Warning for the greater Tahoe and Truckee areas beginning at 10 p.m. Tuesday, as anywhere from 3 to 5 feet of snow is possible above 7,000 feet, with 1 to 2 feet at lake level, forecasters said. The Winter Storm Warning runs until 10 a.m. Friday. There are no watches or warnings at this time for Carson City and surrounding lower valley areas.
Travel will be difficult to impossible, according to NWS forecasters as hazardous conditions will likely affect travel throughout the Lake Tahoe and Sierra. Due to the combination of strong winds and the weight of heavy snow, accumulations could damage trees and power lines.
For those traveling, the weather service advises motorists to keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in vehicles in case of an emergency. Motorists should slow down and use caution while traveling.
For the latest travel conditions see NVroads.com and Caltrans here.
Forecasters also advise of strong winds, with mountain ridges gusting between 60 mph to 70 mph early Tuesday, with speeds expected to increase as the storm draws nearer. By early Wednesday, mountain ridge winds could gusts as high as 100 mph, NWS forecasters said.
Snow amounts will be measured in feet in Sierra, an inch or two possible in lower valleys
Travel will be especially difficult to impossible Thursday across the Sierra as the snow continues to build into several feet.
For the valley areas of Carson City, Douglas, Lyon, Storey and Washoe counties, snow may arrive Christmas Day — as of the time of this writing — with a five percent chance of an inch of snow by Thursday afternoon and a 35 percent chance of an inch of snow by Friday afternoon. Forecasters note the totals “will entirely depend upon snow levels and the timing of the lowering of the snow levels coupled with precipitation timing.”
Check back for updates.
