Major Sierra Nevada Winter Storm Watch Issued for This Weekend
The National Weather Service has issued Winter Storm Watches across a wide swath of the Sierra Nevada, with heavy snow expected to impact the range from Friday evening through Sunday night.
The most significant snowfall totals are forecast for the Lake Tahoe region, where 12 to 28 inches of accumulation is expected above 7,000 feet and at Sierra passes. Communities surrounding the lake itself could see 6 to 10 inches. Winds along the Sierra crest could gust to 90 mph Saturday afternoon, making travel difficult to impossible for much of the weekend.
Further south in Mono County, forecasters are calling for 6 to 12 inches above 8,000 feet, with locally up to 24 inches possible along the higher Sierra crest terrain. That watch kicks off Friday evening, ahead of most other areas.
The West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada is also in the crosshairs, with 1 to 2 feet of snow possible above 4,500 feet and 3 to 4 feet at the highest peaks. Heaviest snowfall in that zone is expected to fall late Saturday morning through midday Sunday.
In the southern Sierra, a watch covering Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia and surrounding areas above 7,000 feet remains in effect from Friday afternoon through Sunday evening, with whiteout conditions described as possible and potentially life-threatening.
Farther north in Lassen, Eastern Plumas and Eastern Sierra counties, the forecast calls for up to 24 inches above 7,000 feet in eastern Sierra County, with 6 to 12 inches above 6,500 feet.
Conditions are expected to deteriorate rapidly heading into the weekend. The National Weather Service urges anyone considering mountain travel to monitor the latest forecasts and check road conditions before heading out.
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