forecast

Hope you got out to enjoy the last full day of sunshine Friday as over a week's worth of storms enters the Lake Tahoe Basin starting Saturday.

The weekend will have unsettled weather as a system headed to California is starting to split, with heavier rain to the north and south, and a chance of rain for South Lake Tahoe. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has issued a Lake Wind Advisory for Lake Tahoe, which is in effect from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday. Winds: Southwest 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 35 mph. Wave Heights: 1 to 3 feet, highest from midlake to northeast shores.

A high pressure system is going to get comfortable over the Sierra this week, with mostly sunny skies and no snow in sight for the next seven days. There is a slight chance for rain though on Wednesday evening and Thursday.

Over to the west, Sacramento will see highs in the 70's all week. Don't forget the sunscreen!

South Lake Tahoe forecast from the National Weather Service in Reno:

Tonight - Partly cloudy, with a low around 25. Southeast wind around 5 mph.

Saturday - Mostly sunny, with a high near 59. Southwest wind around 5 mph.

A winter storm has reached the Lake Tahoe Basin tonight, bringing with it road closures, chain controls, low visibility and a forecast of up to two feet of snow at lake level.

I-80 is closed from Colfax to Truckee to at least 6:00 a.m. Sunday according to Caltrans. They will re-evaluate the conditions at that time.

Highway 50 over Echo Summit is chains or 4WD with snow tires from Meyers to Fred's Place, and chains or snow tires over Spooner Summit.

SR-207 Kingsbury Grade is chains or snow tires from Stateline to mile post 7 in Douglas County.

Another storm moves through the area Sunday and a Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for 7:00 p.m. Sunday to 7:00 a.m. Monday.

It was very windy overnight in South Lake Tahoe with the highest gust of 56 mph recorded at the Lake Tahoe Airport at 1:03 a.m. Tuesday morning. From 7:00 p.m. Monday to 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, winds have stayed in the 30-50 mph range. According to the forecast, winds will 25 mph during the day with gusts as high as 45 mph Tuesday, breezy over night with winds 15-20 mph and gusts to 30 mph.

Alpine Meadows (recorded at 8643 feet) experienced high winds all night with winds at 11:00 p.m. Monday recorded at 144 mph along with gusts of 199 mph.

The next storm headed to Northern California and Western Nevada is an atmospheric river that is trending wetter, just like the other storms South Lake Tahoe has seen in 2017 according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

A Lake Wind Advisory, Winter Storm Warning and and Flood Watch have all been issued for Lake Tahoe.

Rain is still falling in South Lake Tahoe but chain controls are starting to go up at upper elevations as snow begins to fall. Up to 1"-2" more precipitation is still expected Thursday night at the 6,200 ft elevation.

Lake level rain is forecast to end Friday with a winter storm warning in place until Saturday morning at 1:00 a.m. 4"-7" of snow is expected in South Lake Tahoe during that time.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Warm Warning, Lake Wind Advisory and Flood Watch for South Lake Tahoe, and all three are in effect on Thursday, February 9.

Flood Watch Thursday 10:00 a.m. to Friday 4:00 a.m.

Another period of heavy rain is expected today and tonight with even higher flows and more flooding possible. Areas where snow has clogged drainage paths may remain flooded for longer periods of time. More rock and mud slides may also occur and impact travel.

Ski resorts benefited from the snow left behind during the most recent storm which left a couple of inches of slushy snow at lake level, but 7" to a foot of snow at local ski areas.

The next wave of the storm will hit Lake Tahoe Monday night when the snowfall is replaced with heavy rainfall. The warmer storm will bring a higher risk of flooding to the region, especially to the mountains and foothill locations. Strong winds will also increase the potential for downed trees and power lines.

Forecast from the National Weather Service through Thursday:

Sunday morning update: The National Weather Service has upgraded their storm observation and there is now a "Winter Storm Warning" in place.

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The next storm heading to Lake Tahoe will be a wet one, and depending on one's elevation, it could be a snowy one as well. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has issued a Winter Storm Watch in effect for the area from Sunday night at 10:00 p.m. to Monday night at 10:00 p.m.

The inversion layer over Lake Tahoe Tuesday will be pushed out Wednesday as a new storm hits the basin late Wednesday night. Travel over the passes will be impacted during this storm, but with a winter storm warning up for elevations above 7,000 feet, lake level will see mostly rain with a little snow.

Snow will begin to move into the Sierra late Wednesday night with periods of moderate to heavy snow continuing through Friday evening according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno. The winter storm warning has moved to 1:00 a.m. Thursday to 10:00 p.m. Friday, February 3.

With high pressure remaining in control over the Sierra and surrounding valleys, cold valley lows and inversions will remain in place through Tuesday.

The views from above 7,000 feet show fog-like clouds over the lake, while the ski slopes are in sunshine.

South Lake Tahoe's forecast is 40-50s during the day through Tuesday with lows in teens Monday night, up to 26 Tuesday night.

Inversion layers are caused when warm air overlays cooler air.

As South Lake Tahoe residents and business owners are digging out several feet of snow, Mother Nature is preparing a pretty nice forecast with just a slight chance of snow in then next week. Temperatures will be in single digits overnight, with 30s during the day. With clear skies and ski resorts reporting new snow in feet and not inches, this coming weekend should be a very busy one on the South Shore.

Forecast from the National Weather Service:

Tuesday night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 9. North wind around 5 mph becoming east in the evening.

Due to the storm forecast to high the Lake Tahoe Basin, Sierra-at-Tahoe has decided to not open on Sunday.

They said they've checked multiple forecasts and spoke with the National Weather Service, and since both were advising people to not travel over the mountain roads they closed due to safety concerns.

"We believe that the best call for everyone's safety is to suspend operations for tomorrow," the ski resort said on social media. "Your safety is our primary concern."

1:00 p.m. update - The National Weather Service in Reno is updating their forecast as the storm heading to Lake Tahoe Sunday and Monday is trending towards "Big Snow."

On Friday, another round of heavy snow will start just after midnight Friday morning, impacting traffic throughout the day. Reno and the rest of Western Nevada will be impacted as well with up to several inches of valley floor snow.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the Lake Tahoe Basin beginning at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday. This quick moving storm will be out Thursday morning.

Expect snow accumulations above 7000 feet of 6"-11" and 3"-6" at lake level. Winds with this storm will be from the southwest 15-20 mph with gust 30-45 mph.

Snow levels will begin just above lake level at 6500 feet, dropping to valley floors by 6:00 p.m.

The storm trended drier than initially expected.

The worst has passed, but there is still a last bit of storm waiting to swing through South Lake Tahoe. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a winter storm warning to be in effect until 10:00 p.m. Thursday, January 12. This time, the snowfall will be measured in inches instead of feet.

Bands of snow will be heavy at times, bringing an additional 4-8" of snow to lake level, with a foot or more above 7000 feet.

There will be some winds associated with this next storm. Southwest wind 10-15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph except at the Sierra Ridge where gusts will be up to 75 mph.

The City of South Lake Tahoe administration offices are closed Tuesday to non-essential personnel due to the blizzard which is forecast to drop up to seven feet of snow by Thursday.

Snow removal crews are out in full force.

A Blizzard Warning has been issued for the Sierra through Wednesday morning. Dangerous and potentially life threatening blizzard conditions are possible according to the National Weather Service.

Many roads in Nevada were under water Sunday after torrential rains went through, causing rivers and streams to flood. In Reno alone 50 roads were closed due to high water levels, and all bridges over the Truckee River in Reno were also closed.

The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) spent the day evaluating the state's roads affected by floods and rain. Multiple state roads in the greater Truckee Meadows and Carson Valley areas remain closed, including those in the Sparks industrial area and areas of Reno, including East McCarran Boulevard and South Virginia Street.

Emergency crews have been busy all day, responding to homes, businesses and roads flooding. The number of calls haven't been accumulated yet, but those listening to police and sheriff scanner feeds know it must be dozens if not, hundreds.

The Upper Truckee River in South Lake Tahoe is at 11.26 feet as of 7:00 p.m. Sunday. 11.50 feet is considered major flooding with 12.5 feet at the disastrous level.

The University of Nevada Seismological Lab operates around Lake Tahoe and Western Nevada to monitor earthquake and wildfire data, but now they're helping with flood monitoring.

They have placed a temporary camera above the Truckee River at on Arlington Street in Reno. The view is updated every minute and can be seen here: http://floodwatch.nvseismolab.org/

With Sunday's warm storm expected to drop up to a foot of rain on Lake Tahoe, area ski resorts are closed. High winds are also forecast for upper elevations.

"Guest and employee safety is our primary concern," said a message on Sierra-at-Tahoe's twitter page. "Thanks in advance for your understanding."

Heavenly Mountain Resort, Kirkwood, Squaw Valley / Alpine Meadows, Northstar, Sugar Bowl, Mt. Rose and Tahoe Donner have also joined Sierra and other resorts in closing mountain operations for the day.

South Lake Tahoe, Calif. - The atmospheric river heading to Lake Tahoe will produce a period of intense rainfall with snow levels as high as 9000 feet early Sunday morning to Monday morning. The National Weather Service says to expect 6"-12" of rain around the Lake Tahoe basin, the Carson Range and the foothills of Carson City and Reno.

Lower elevations in Western Nevada will see 2"-4" of rain during this time frame.

12:00 p.m. update Saturday - The City of South Lake Tahoe just received a load of sand at their maintenance yard on Rufus Allen. They are back open 24/7 until supplies run out again. They had run out of sand at both locations this morning.

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In just two hours Friday afternoon, 220 sandbags had been filled and carted off by residents preparing for the upcoming storm. With up to ten inches of precipitation heading to Lake Tahoe, and most in the form of rain, City of South Lake Tahoe officials are warning everyone to take all precautions necessary to stay safe.