Winter Storm Watch Issued for California, Feet of Snow Possible Into Next Week

After a dry spell, winter is once again beginning to spin up in the Sierra Nevada, as forecasters warn of intense mountain snow and wind across California’s peaks starting Friday, November 13, 2026.

For the greater Lake Tahoe area—home to resorts like Palisades Tahoe, Heavenly, and Northstar—a National Weather Service winter storm watch is in effect from Friday morning through Saturday afternoon.

“Heavy wet snow. Snow accumulations near 12 inches above 7,000 to 7,500 feet, with up to 6 inches below 7,000 feet. Wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph over ridges and gusts of 35 to 45 mph for Truckee and Lake Tahoe communities,” the watch reads, also cautioning that travel could be “very difficult” and strong winds could damage trees and power lines.

Further south, Mono County is also preparing for precipitation and wind, with Mammoth Mountain set to receive about 12 inches of snow above 7,000 to 7,500 feet, according to the NWS. For context, the resort’s main base area sits at about 9,000 feet.

It likely won’t be the end of the snow. NWS forecasts call for snow into next week, as does OpenSnow. There appears to be some uncertainty about exactly how the snow totals shake out, though.

“The latest model runs have a bigger range in scenarios for the 2nd storm, with total precipitation forecasts between 0.2 – 2.0 inches of precipitation, depending on how well this storm holds together as it moves through the region,” wrote OpenSnow forecaster Bryan Allegretto in a recent update. 

Still, if the pattern stays on track, it could give California ski resorts a major boost as they prepare for opening day. Meteorologist Chris Tomer, in his latest update, pegged the totals at some ski resorts above two or three feet at mid-mountain through November 20. 

In other words, hold on to your ski helmets: the storm California skiers were hoping for appears to be taking shape, creating opportunities for snowmaking with plenty of the natural stuff to boot. 

The widespread pattern change could also bring snow to other Western states waiting for their big break, like Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana.

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