tahoe basin

Unsettled weather pattern brings sun, chance of rain and thunderstorms to Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Showers and thunderstorms are expected Monday and Tuesday as low pressure moves into southern California, affecting the Lake Tahoe Basin. Unsettled weather continues next week with additional chances of showers and isolated afternoon thunderstorms. Temperatures will remain close to seasonal averages this week, and possibly becoming warmer than average by next week, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno.

The forecast from NWS Reno:

Not all fire is bad fire - Creating healthy forests around Lake Tahoe

The following is the second in a series of stories on being a community that is prepared for wildfire.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Vegetation fires are natural and were normal before policies were created to suppress them for fear of uncontrollable and destructive wildfires as seen in the late 1800s. When some of the first residents arrived in Lake Tahoe between the Gold Rush and Silver Strike, it was common to see just six-seven Jeffrey Pines per acre. Trees in the Tahoe Basin were clear cut to provide the lumber for building mines under Virginia City.

Lake Tahoe recognized as global sustainable destination

STATELINE, Nevada – The Sustainable Destinations Top 100 program recognized Lake Tahoe as a global sustainable destination at a tourism trade show in Berlin, Germany this spring.

"Wilder than Wild: Fire, Forests, and the Future" to be shown around Lake Tahoe

Event Date: 
May 30, 2019 - 5:30pm

LAKE TAHOE, CA/NV - The award-winning documentary "Wilder than Wild: Fire, Forests, and the Future" will be shown at three locations around Lake Tahoe in the coming weeks, starting on Thursday, May 30 in Incline Village.

Wilder Than Wild is a one-hour documentary that reveals how fire suppression and climate change have exposed Western landscapes to large, high-intensity wildfires. The film goes on to explore strategies that are being developed to help mitigate the impact of these fires.

Lake Tahoe area boat inspection stations opening for 2019 season

LAKE TAHOE, CA/NV - Roadside watercraft inspections stations aimed at stopping the spread of aquatic invasive species are opening for the season. Locations, hours of operation, and opening dates are online at TahoeBoatInspections.com and as follows:

Opening Wednesday, May 1:
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., seven days a week

Meyers: at the junction of US Highway 50 and Highway 89, South Lake Tahoe
Spooner Summit: at the junction of US Highway 50 and Highway 28 in Nevada
Alpine Meadows: Highway 89, off Alpine Meadows Road north of Tahoe City

League to Save Lake Tahoe earns nonprofit transparency award

The League to Save Lake Tahoe today earned a 2019 Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition offered by GuideStar, the world’s largest source of nonprofit information. By sharing metrics that highlight progress the League is making toward its mission, the organization is helping donors move beyond simplistic ways of nonprofit evaluation such as overhead ratios.

Seasonal dog closure for Upper Truckee Marsh in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Starting Wednesday, May 1, the California Tahoe Conservancy will be initiating their seasonal dog closure at the Upper Truckee Marsh in South Lake Tahoe. This annual closure will last through July 31.

The purpose of the closure is to keep dogs out of critical breeding habitat for special, threatened and endangered species such as the Willow Flycatcher.

Fire officials: Some town will be affected by wildfire this summer, who's next?

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Over 200 members of the community gathered last week for a Community Wildfire Preparedness and Evacuation Planning meeting that featured ten panelists for an important discussion on what is on the minds of many.

The goal is to be a community that is wildfire ready, and the speakers went through the ways both they and the citizens of the South Shore can be prepared for wildfire, establish evacuation routes and what the emergency response will be.

Weekly South Lake Tahoe forecast: Cooler temperatures with a chance of rain

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Temperatures will be near normal Monday as a cold front moves through the Lake Tahoe Basin. Cooler temperatures and light rain are expected Tuesday before a warm-up occurs late week. Unsettled weather looks to make a return next weekend.

The forecast from the National Weather Service in Reno:

Monday - Sunny, with a high near 60. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Monday Night -Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday - A 20 percent chance of showers after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near

Multiple agencies respond to fire Saturday in prescribed burn area of South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Several agencies responded to a report of fire behind Sierra Tahoe Ready-Mix near Twin Peaks in South Lake Tahoe just before noon on Saturday, April 27.

Symposium on Forest Health and Forest/Fuel Management Policies

Event Date: 
May 18, 2019 - 10:00am

The Tahoe Climate Change Action Network will be hosting a community forum on forest health and forest/fuel management policies in the Lake Tahoe Basin on May 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Join your neighbors and local Natural Resources professionals in forest ecology, forest and fire sciences, and fuel management.

The forum will take place at the Lake Tahoe Community College's Aspen Room in South Lake Tahoe.

Location

Lake Tahoe Community College
One College Drive, SLT Aspen Room
United States

Opening dates announced for USFS recreational spots around Lake Tahoe

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - The snow is melting and temperatures are rising, signaling the change of seasons in Lake Tahoe, and the opening of campgrounds, beaches and other recreational areas.

The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will soon begin the process of opening their facilities in the Lake Tahoe Basin, weather and snow conditions permitting,

The first two beaches to open will be Baldwin and Nevada with an opening date planned for this Saturday, April 27, 2019.

ONE TAHOE listening session on North Shore Tuesday

Event Date: 
April 23, 2019 - 4:00pm

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - In January 2019, the Tahoe Transportation District (TTD), in collaboration with agency partners, launched ONE TAHOE, an initiative focused on achieving the full funding necessary to transform the community transportation vision into reality.

ONE TAHOE seeks to gather community input on funding solutions to implement the Regional Transportation Plan Vision.

Conservancy receives $1.95M to restore forest and watershed resilience

At its Board meeting in Sacramento on Thursday, the California Tahoe Conservancy accepted a $1.95 million grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy to co-manage the Tahoe-Central Sierra Initiative (TCSI), a pioneering landscape-level effort to restore forest and watershed resilience to more than 2.4 million acres.

Tahoe Climbing Coalition holds launch party/membership drive

Event Date: 
May 4, 2019 - 6:00pm

The new Tahoe Climbing Coalition is holding their launch party and fundraiser on Saturday, May 4 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at South Lake Brewing Company in South Lake Tahoe.

World-class climber Ethan Pringle will join the festivities as a guest speaker.

Join the new group that is dedicated to providing access, stewardship, and advocation of rock climbing, mountaineering, and bouldering in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Join the group during the evening and receive $1 off your beer. Memberships are available from $20 to $60.

Sunny week ahead for South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It's been a while since the forecast had nothing but sunshine in it, but that is what is ahead for the Lake Tahoe Basin next week! Due to the warming temperatures, watch for increased flow in area streams and rivers due to the snowmelt.

For Monday and Tuesday, the northerly flow that started over the weekend will persist but gradually weaken as high-pressure noses into the region. The northerly flow will still be rather gusty Tuesday morning across area ridges but should diminish through the day.

Public comment sought on USFS-Liberty Utilities plan to thin forests around power lines

Liberty Utilities and the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) are working together on a proposal to reduce the risk of unwanted wildfires on approximately 6,300 acres of forest in the Lake Tahoe Basin along 55 miles of power line corridors.

The Liberty Utilities Resilience Corridors Project would help create healthier and more resilient forests while reducing the risk of unwanted wildfires that could ignite either from vegetation coming in contact with utility infrastructure or failures of infrastructure.

Caltrans to hold public meeting on Meyers and South Lake Tahoe projects

Event Date: 
April 24, 2019 - 5:30pm

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Long has been the joke that there are two seasons in Lake Tahoe, winter and roadwork. Both are holding up true for 2019 as we leave a long and heavy winter and prepare for several road construction projects.

On Wednesday, April 24, CalTrans is inviting the public to come out and learn about their three projects scheduled to begin on US 50 in the Lake Tahoe Basin this summer. The public meeting will be in the South Tahoe High School Student Union from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Another week of typical spring weather ahead for South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Ever-changing weather for the Lake Tahoe Basin is a normal spring pattern though most are hoping with more sun and less snow and rain. This week will be much of the same.

Active spring weather returns to start the new week with a pair of storms set to make impacts to most of the region. Gusty southwest winds, valley rain, and mountain snow are expected through Tuesday. Sunshine and warmer temperatures return for the second half of next week as high pressure moves in according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

Lake Tahoe Basin fire suppression successes since the Angora Fire

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Those of us living in Lake Tahoe know all too well the dangers of wildfire, but we also know the positive outcome a collaborative effort to be better prepared can do.

Residents across the West have been given their "wake up call" over the past few years as record-breaking fires have burned through communities, leaving devastation and death in their wake.

LTCC receives grant to expand College Promise program

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The free college program at Lake Tahoe Community College, the College Promise, was just awarded a $150,000 grant to enhance and expand the program. They were just one of three community colleges in the state to receive the grant.

Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) Promise program provides a free year of tuition for first-time, full-time students. With this grant award, LTCC can further enhance the program, adding free services and extra support to improve Promise student success.

Prescribed fire operations continue in Tahoe Basin

Weather permitting, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and the USDA Forest Service may continue prescribed fire operations over the next several weeks in the Tahoe Basin.

The following areas are scheduled to be treated at this time:

Kingsbury Grade, off Granite Springs Drive - 2 acres to be burned by Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit 4/8 - 4/12

Behind South Tahoe High School - 15 acres to be burned by Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit 4/8 - 4/12

Adjacent to Sawmill Pond -10 acres to be burned by Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit 4/8 - 4/12

Unsettled weather continues for the Lake Tahoe Basin

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The forecast is beginning to sound like a broken record - Rain, snow, sunshine, repeat. Mother Nature keeps sending us bits of everything in the Lake Tahoe forecasts. Never fear....at this point it looks like a week of sunshine coming soon!

The National Weather Service in Reno has issued a Lake Wind Advisory, which is in effect from noon to 9:00 p.m. Monday. The advisory is for Tahoe, Donner, Fallen Leaf, Prosser, and Boca lakes. Winds will be from the southwest 15 to 20 mph, gusts to 40 mph. Waves on the lakes will be 1 to 3 feet.

Community wildfire evacuation and preparedness meeting

Event Date: 
April 25, 2019 - 6:00pm

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The threat of wildland fires grows in California and the Lake Tahoe Basin every year. They are becoming larger, more destructive and deadly than ever before. Do you know what to do in case of fire?

The public needs to be prepared when wildfire strikes. The Camp Fire in November 2018 was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history to date. It burned 153,336 acres, destroyed 18,804 buildings and killed 85 people. The center of that fire was Paradise, California, They had held city-wide fire drills and appeared to be prepared.

A bit of everything in the Lake Tahoe forecast

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The week ahead in the Lake Tahoe Basin will have some rain, a thunderstorm, snow, sun, and wind. It's almost like what Mark Twain once said: “If you don't like the weather in New England now, just wait a few minutes.” Just pull out New England and insert Lake Tahoe!

They all appear in the forecast this week as weak to moderate spring storms impact the region. The wettest periods look to be Tuesday and Friday Night into Saturday. Temperatures will be variable from day to day, but generally near to slightly
above normal for the first week of April.

Stormy week ahead for Lake Tahoe and the Sierra

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Dry weather and good travel conditions are on tap for Sunday before a series of storms move through the region this week. These storms
will bring periods of mountain snow, valley rain, and gusty winds. The greatest travel impacts will be overnight and during the early morning hours, however, the strongest storm may bring significant travel difficulties Tuesday night through Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Cross-country skiing returns to Spooner Lake State Park

Once again, Spooner Lake State Park offers outdoor sports enthusiasts a system of meandering cross-country ski trails that wind through dense forest, across an open meadow and along the banks of Spooner Lake.

This trail system is free to the public and made possible by a partnership between Nevada State Parks and Nevada Nordic, a non-profit group based in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The scenic, intermediate trail includes several teardrop loops with flat rolling terrain, which makes it great for both families and experienced skiers. For current trail conditions visit nevadanordic.org.

STPUD to consider rate increase for adequate fire protection and pipe replacement

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Customers of the South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) may be looking at an annual increase on their water and sewer bills of 5.0 to 8.5 percent to cover costs of replacing aging infrastructure and enhancing local fire protection.

During last week's budget workshop, STPUD staff showed the Board what a rate increase could provide to their customers:

- Replacement or rehabilitation of 725,354 feet of steel pipe, water mains, wells and tanks
- Extension of the life of assets
- Replacement of 100,000 feet of pipe used for fire protection

Land at the Y in South Lake Tahoe to be purchased for affordable housing project

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A vacant one-half acre lot on Emerald Bay Road at the "Y" in South Lake Tahoe will soon become an “affordable by design” housing project and could be the site of tiny houses. At Thursday's California Tahoe Conservancy meeting they announced their intent to sell one of its developable properties to Dinsmore Sierra who will finance and build the project which is across the street from Alpina Cafe.

USFS seeks comments on OHV grant funding in Lake Tahoe Basin

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is seeking public comments for the annual California Department of Parks and Recreation, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division grant application. The OHMVR application requests funding for trail maintenance, and operation of facilities for off-highway vehicle (OHV) access in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The 60-day grant application comment period ends Monday, May 6.

State Route 89 recreation plan to address traffic, experiences and parking

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Giving people a positive experience as they travel along the west shore of Lake Tahoe will require removing congestion from the roadway is one of the goals of the State Route 89 Recreation Corridor Management Plan.

A collaboration of 17 agencies and organizations have been working on the plan which covers the stretch from 15th street in South Lake Tahoe to the Placer County line at Sugar Pine Point State Park. Along the plan area are popular areas to view scenery, hike, bike and visit beaches along a 12 mile stretch of undeveloped shoreline.

Lake Tahoe ski, snowboard, road and weather news - Mountain Resort Report©

Good Morning Lake Tahoe Skiers & Riders!

A Sunday-Fun Day ahead with Partly Cloudy turning Mostly Cloudy Skies and continued chance of snow showers in the afternoon… Get After it today with plenty of Fresh Snow on top of Machine Groomed Corduroy and Skier-Rider Tracked and Packed Snow… North Lake Tahoe SnowFest concludes today with Family Fun Day and More… Ski & Ride with Care & Be Safe!

How full is Lake Tahoe?

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Sierra Nevada has seen epic amounts of snowfall this winter and recent measurements at both Phillips and Mt. Rose show water content of the snowpack well above normal.

Lake Tahoe ski, snowboard, road and weather news - Mountain Resort Report©

More Fresh Snow has fallen in the upper elevations… Get Out on the Mountain today! Winter Storm Watch posted for Tuesday thru Wednesday… 1-3 Feet possible… Wear your Gore-Tex jacket today… Ski/Ride with a Buddy if you go off-piste… Powder & Machine Groomed Pack Powder… North Lake Tahoe SnowFest continues today thru March 10… Ski & Ride with Care & Be Safe!

TODAY’S WEATHER: Expect Partly Cloudy Skies with a slight chance of snow showers in the morning. Patchy Fog in the Morning. Highs: 37F-47F. (27F-37F on the slopes). Southwest Winds 10-15 mph.

Rain and snow likely for much of the week in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The forecast for the Lake Tahoe Basin is beginning to sound like a broken record: rain, snow, repeat. Next week won't be much different as it will start off fairly quiet before the next storm heads into the region Tuesday night through Friday with periods of valley rain, mountain snow, and gusty winds.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno says the slushy snow we've been seeing at lake level could change and to expect colder conditions returning at the end of the week with snow possible at all elevations.

TRPA accepting Lake Spirit Award nominations

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - It takes real people making real progress to conserve Lake Tahoe’s unique natural environment. The 2019 Lake Spirit Awards will honor those committed to a spirit of cooperation and protecting Lake Tahoe.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) will accept nominations for the awards through Friday, March 29, 2019. The nomination form for the Lake Spirit Awards can be found online at http://www.trpa.org/get-involved/lake-spirit-awards/.

Lake Tahoe ski, snowboard, road and weather news - Mountain Resort Report©

Good Morning Lake Tahoe Skiers & Riders…

More Fresh Powder to the People reported at all Resorts for your Presidents Weekend Sunday Funday… Expect delays in lift openings… Winter Storm Warning in effect for continued snow showers and light to moderate winds thru 7 pm tonight. Road Controls – Chain Restrictions posted on All Roadways in and around Lake Tahoe. Stay out of the Backcountry! Avalanche Danger is High! Ski or Ride with a Buddy if go off-piste… Have Fun & Be Safe!

Flood Advisory in place for most area counties

A Flood Advisory has been issued for Alpine County, Placer County, El Dorado County, Sierra County, Nevada County, Southern Washoe County, Douglas County, and Western Carson City. It will remain in effect until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday.

Column: SLTPD and EDSO saves woman's life with arrest

After a six-month investigation into drug transactions in the Lake Tahoe Basin, the El Dorado Sheriff's Department Narcotics Task Force executed search warrants at two locations in South Lake Tahoe on August 23, 2017. Large amounts of heroin, methamphetamine and approximately 12 firearms were seized in the search. Lynwood Towle, Shawn German, Melissa Griffis, Paul Ryan, and Krystal Long were all arrested, charged, and eventually pleaded guilty to various charges stemming from those searches.

Survey finds 18 Million trees died in California in 2018

While the rate at which trees died in California has slowed, an additional 18 million trees (mostly conifers) have died in the state, bringing a commitment from both the USDA Forest Service and CALFIRE to make forest health their top priority.

The USDA Forest Service announced today over 147 million trees have died across 9.7 million acres of federal, state, local and private lands in California since the drought began in 2010. Since 2016, federal, state, and local partners have felled 1.5 million dead trees, primarily those posing the highest hazards to life and property.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Chief Jeff Meston hanging up his hat

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Fire Chief Jeff Meston is retiring from South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) on February 28, five years and five months after he came out of retirement to head up the department.

On Friday, February 1, Meston submitted his resignation to the City.

"When I was hired by CM (City Manager) Kerry I promised to spend between 3-5 years with the City Fire Department and bring them as far as I could to be a “world class” fire department," Meston said in his resignation letter.

He feels he's accomplished what he set out to do.

Sunday update: Controls on all mountain roads; blizzard conditions possible through Tuesday

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It's the middle of a four-day storm in the Sierra with all mountain roads impacted by the snow. There is a Winter Storm Warning in effect until 4:00 p.m. Tuesday with the next wave of it expected to hit Lake Tahoe by 4:00 p.m. Sunday.

South Lake Tahoe traffic meeting: "Our quality of life has been affected"

MEYERS, Calif. - Traffic through neighborhoods in the Meyers area has become unbearable to many residents as vehicles leaving South Lake Tahoe to take to side streets in an effort to circumvent Highway 50 traffic over Echo Summit.

In an effort to find solutions to a problem that keeps Meyers residents from their homes for hours at a time, a townhall-style meeting was held on Friday night.

Letter: Agencies alert public on what they're doing to alleviate traffic leaving South Lake Tahoe

The following is a letter created by the four agencies currently working together to try and find a solution to the traffic problem in Meyers as visitors exit Lake Tahoe after a weekend. A public meeting was held on Friday night and that story will be carried on Saturday.

Storms headed to Lake Tahoe: 2'-6' of snow at lake level, 5'-10' above 7000 feet

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - We could see the coldest air of the season this next week after the storms leave the Lake Tahoe Basin on Tuesday, but in the meantime, it's snow, snow, snow.

Major storm headed for Lake Tahoe; Mountain travel discouraged

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There is a Winter Storm Warning in place for Lake Tahoe, one that starts on Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. and lasts until Monday night at 10:00 p.m. as two major storms take aim for Lake Tahoe.

The incoming storms have prompted travel officials to warn travelers to get to Lake Tahoe by 4:00 p.m. Friday night and to stay off mountain roads from then until early Monday morning.

The warnings are calling for heavy snow at lake level anywhere from 19" to 33" and up to five feet of snow above 7000 feet over the four-day period.

Prescribed burning around Lake Tahoe set to resume

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – California State Parks and the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District will continue prescribed fire operations over the next several weeks in multiple locations around Lake Tahoe, weather, staffing, and conditions permitting.

Six areas are currently scheduled for burning -

1. DL Bliss Campground - Acreage: 17 (Ongoing)
2. D. L. Bliss Gateway - Acreage: 4 (Ongoing)
3. Sunset Stables East - Acreage: 10 (Ongoing)
4. NV State Lands - Lower Kingsbury - Acreage: 5 (Planned start January 30)

Snowpack measures above normal for Sierra and Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - While the snowpack isn't epic in measurement (yet), it rose above normal with this past two week's storms that brought five feet of snow to the upper elevations.

During the January 3, 2019 monthly measurement of the snow and its water content at Phillips near Sierra-at-Tahoe, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) found the snow to be at 80 percent of normal. The prior year at the same time was a dismal three percent of normal.

ONE TAHOE launched to address transportation needs around the lake

Event Date: 
January 29, 2019 - 4:00pm

LAKE TAHOE, CA/NV – Lake Tahoe needs our help. The “Jewel of the Sierra” is being loved to death. The vast amount of trips being made by motor vehicles have contributed to severe traffic congestion, unsafe conditions for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists, mounting air pollution, declining lake clarity, and other negative impacts.

Column: Building on Lake Tahoe’s Progress

2018 was an extraordinary year for Lake Tahoe, and one of the region’s most successful years in decades. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) assisted by dozens of partners approved landmark programs and projects, including a new Shoreline Plan, a comprehensive update of TRPA’s development rights system, and the U.S. 50 South Shore Community Revitalization Project.

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