The week ahead in South Lake Tahoe - dry, sunny until mid-week, rain and snow through Easter

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Other than a slight chance of showers over the Sierra and western Basin this afternoon, the first half of the week will feature dry conditions and gradual warming, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno. The next storm arrives on Wednesday with periods of unsettled weather lasting through Easter weekend.

Winds will shift Wednesday when they come out of the southwest by Wednesday morning ahead of the storm, becoming gusty during the afternoon. Expect valley gusts between 30-40 mph and Sierra ridge gusts upwards of 80-100 mph on Wednesday afternoon/evening.

Details for the weekend are bound to change due to the highly dynamic nature of closed lows, but you can generally count on additional rounds of mountain snow, valley rain, and gusty winds through Easter weekend.

March came in like a lion, and at this time it appears to go out like a lion as well. Where is the lamb?

The weekly forecast for South Lake Tahoe from NWS Reno:

Today - Mostly sunny, with a high near 41. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight - Partly cloudy, with a low around 21. South wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday - Sunny, with a high near 44. Calm wind, becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 23. Southwest wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday - Partly sunny, with a high near 47. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Wednesday Night - Rain likely before 8 pm, then rain and snow likely between 8 pm and 11 pm, then snow after 11 pm. Low around 27. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. The chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches is possible.

Thursday - A 50 percent chance of snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 39. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches is possible.

Thursday Night - A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23.

Friday - Snow likely, mainly after 11 am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39.

Friday Night - Snow likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low of around 22.

Saturday - Snow likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40.

Saturday Night - A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24.

Sunday - A chance of snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 43.