Snow and cold weather on the way for Lake Tahoe by Thursday

A strong cold front will impact Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Thursday bringing colder temperatures and some light snow by late afternoon into the evening, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

Southwest winds on Thursday ahead of the front will pick up, with gusts up to 40 mph, and Sierra ridges gusting over 60 mph. Bands of snow are forecast to develop behind the cold front Thursday afternoon and evening, with residual showers through Friday.

An inch or two of snow is possible in the western Nevada valleys, with only slightly higher amounts in the Sierra. Some areas that get stuck under stronger bands of snow may pick up a few inches while other areas may see little/no accumulation, so there is some uncertainty with the snow amounts for now.

There could be some impacts to Thursday evening's and Friday morning's commute due to snow accumulation. Temperatures will plummet Friday into the weekend with highs around 10-15 degrees below normal.