Winter Storm Watch in place Friday-Sunday for Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - More unsettled weather is on the way. A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning for the greater Lake Tahoe area.

For Wednesday, a weakening area of low pressure will move into southern California today and across southern Nevada tonight. Snow will spread across the eastern Sierra this morning then north and east into the Tahoe Basin and western Nevada this afternoon. Most snow will be south of Lake Tahoe across Mono, Mineral and Lyon counties but light snow could spread as far north as the I-80 corridor during the late morning and afternoon and produce some spotty light accumulations for foothill locations.

A stronger storm is forecast to arrive on Friday afternoon and continue over the weekend. This storm will bring another round of heavy wet snow to the high Sierra and rain forthe lower elevations. As snow levels fall late Saturday afternoon

into Sunday, some snow accumulation is possible for northeast California and foothills locations as well. If you have plans to travel through the Sierra this weekend, make sure to watch the weather forecast closely.

Heavy snow is likely for the Sierra with total snow accumulations of 1 to 3 feet above 7000 feet with locally higher amounts possible. Some elevations between 5500-6500 could see accumulations of a few inches up to 2 feet. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph.

Snow levels are currently forecast to hover near or just above Lake Tahoe level, so impacts could vary dramatically within just a few hundred feet of elevation. The most likely time for accumulating snow at Lake Tahoe level will be late Saturday into Sunday.

The five-day forecast from the National Weather Service in Reno:

Wednesday Night - A chance of rain and snow showers, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Thursday - Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.

Thursday Night - Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22. South wind around 5 mph.

Friday - A chance of rain and snow after 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 42. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Friday Night - Rain and snow. Low around 24. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Saturday - Rain and snow. High near 39. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Saturday NightRain, possibly mixed with snow. Cloudy, with a low around 23.

Sunday - Snow showers likely, mainly before 10am. Partly sunny, with a high near 37.

Sunday Night - A slight chance of snow showers before 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 15.

Monday - Mostly sunny, with a high near 40.

Monday Night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 13.