Skiing in the snow: The impact of the Sierra Nevada blizzard on the Snowpack-measuring area south of Lake Tahoe
Todd Cummings decided to drive from Santa Cruz to the Lake Tahoe area ahead of the storm with plans to lay low during the blizzard and then hit the slopes.
“The results today show just how critical this upcoming month is going to be in terms of our water supply outlook for the upcoming year,” hydrometeorologist Angelique Fabbiani-Leon said during a briefing at Phillips Station, a snowpack-measuring location south of Lake Tahoe.
Richard Cunningham moved from Las Vegas to Reno in 1997, and he has heard before about storm forecasts that did not come to fruition.
Some people may have been lulled into a false sense of security earlier in the week because of the not-so- dire forecasts for heavy storms this winter, according to a Radio DJ and stand-up comedian.
The Sierra Nevada snowpack stood at 80% of average to date but only 70% of the average peak.
On the bright side, California water officials said the storm should provide a much-needed shot in the arm to the Sierra snowpack, which is vital to the state’s water supplies and sits well below normal so far this season.
Alpine Meadows will be closed on Friday. It was planned to only open its lowest elevation runs.
Source: Parts of the Sierra Nevada are likely to get 10 feet of snow by the weekend
Snow and Winds in the Sierra Nevada from a Super-Balmastorm Thursday to Sunday, Dec. 2. Snowfall Forecast for Reno, Nevada
There are less people on the mountains, so there is less fresh snow, because people have a difficult time getting to the mountains after a storm. You are floating on it. It’s fantastic!” He said so.
“AAANNNDD WE’RE CLOSED!! I-80. westbound traffic is being turned at the Nevada State line and eastbound I-80 traffic is being turned around at Drum Forebay due to spin outs, high winds, and low visibility,” the CHP posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Andrew Schwartz, the lead scientist at UC-Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab, said it is possible they could break their modern-day record of about 3.5 feet (1 meter) of snow in a single day from back in 1989. The lab was founded atop the Sierra in 1946 in Soda Springs, California, northwest of Lake Tahoe.
“This will be a legitimate blizzard,” UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said during an online briefing Thursday. “Winter weather can be quite active with a lot of snow, strong winds and the potential for power outages, but a really big winter storm often leaves roads as bad as they normally would be.”
The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Reno, Nev., advised against travel, but urged people who must drive to pack an emergency kit in case they are stranded for extended periods.
RENO, Nev. — The most powerful Pacific storm of the season is forecast to bring up to 10 feet (3 meters) of snow into the Sierra Nevada by the weekend, forcing residents to take shelter and prompting at least one Lake Tahoe ski resort to close Friday.
The storm began barreling into the region on Thursday, with the biggest effects expected to close major highways and trigger power outages Friday afternoon into Saturday. A storm is on the way that will affect a 300-mile stretch, from north of Lake Sierra to south of the national park.
A storm system brought high winds to the highest peaks of the Sierra, with gusts up to 150 mph. The NWS issued a high-wind warning for West Central Nevada, with winds that could hit 75 mph through 7 am on Saturday.
The Reno forecast office also issued a backcountry avalanche warning through 5 p.m. on Sunday for the Central Sierra slopes, and advised against travel there.