winds

It has been a chilly day in South Lake Tahoe with winds from the southwest up to 20 mph and temps in the 30s. This is in front of a weak weather system that will pass over the Lake Tahoe/Reno area this evening and Thursday morning.

After is passes, dry and warmer conditions will prevail for the next few days.

Saturday will be the warmest day of the forecast (and possibly the rest of the month) with winds aloft becoming more west and a little better mixing for temps rising a few degrees above average.

Time is starting to run out for winter to arrive in South Lake Tahoe, but there are some signs of the season on the horizon.

Temperatures will remain unseasonably mild with mainly light winds across northeast California and western Nevada through Friday. There are some weak low pressure systems dropping into the region this weekend and early next week. They will bring a cooling trend with more typical February temperatures. Light snow showers are possible Monday into Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno.

It was an overcast start to what turned out to be the warmest January 30 on record in South Lake Tahoe. A high of 56 degrees was reached on the South Shore.

The previous high of 54 for this date occurred in both 1989 and 2012.

Reno, Nevada also had a new record Tuesday with their high of 68, three degrees higher than the previous high from 2003.

Winter will finally make an appearance to Lake Tahoe, the Sierra Nevada and Northern Nevada by the end of the week and even into next week as well. A much welcomed Sierra snow will be on tap, as a colder, stronger storm is set to move into the region according to the National Weather Service in Reno. This will bring the first significant snowfall to the Sierra that we`ve seen in a while.

The latest weather models continue to show a weak to moderate Atmospheric River (AR) moving into the Sierra, combining with much colder temperatures behind the cold front.

Hello fellow anglers. I am happy to say, the winter solstice has come and gone. Meaning, each day now brings one minute longer of daylight. But as we all know, that does not mean it will get any warmer soon. Down here in the Minden and Carson Valleys we've experienced an average of 7 to 10 degree mornings.

Most would think that the higher lakes would be frozen and iced over. I received a report from fellow angler Josh Otto last week. As Josh told me, Caples Lake had high winds and was down right cold and had waves blowing across the lake.

It most likely won't be a white Christmas in Lake Tahoe, but snow is headed to the Sierras this Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. It is a quick moving storm but has a chance to leave behind the much-needed snow. Christmas Day is expected to be sunny and cold, with a high of 39, low around 12.

Plan on slippery road conditions during the morning commute Wednesday from Lake Tahoe to Reno and the Carson Valley. Total snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches are forecast for lake level, with up to 10 inches expected above 7000 feet.

While snow is falling along the southern part of the U.S. from Texas to Virginia, Lake Tahoe is experiencing a high pressure system with dry conditions with valley inversions, cold nights and light winds for the next 10 days. Daytime highs will be 5-8 degrees above average, and the overnight lows will be below average.

Air stagnation forecast from limited mixing and light winds which will promote hazy skies and potential air quality issues under the 5,000 foot level.

Highs in the low-50s, lows under 20 is in the forecast from the National Weather Service in Reno:

A fast moving and strong cold front will move into the region Saturday into Sunday, bringing wind, some snow, and much colder temperatures. A wind advisory is in place for Saturday into Sunday, and light snow possible from Saturday night to Sunday.

High pressure will then build in over the region for all of next week, with daytime temperatures mild and overnight lows remaining well below freezing.

Forecast from the National Weather Service:

Tonight - Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

11:20PM Update: The power outages, which occurred at 10:01 p.m. still affect over 14,000 customers of NV Energy. The estimated time of restoration is 12:45 a.m. Thursday.

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Many NV Energy customers in Incline Village, much of the Douglas County portion at Lake Tahoe and Carson City are currently without power. 14,207 homes and businesses are affected.

A winter storm is currently passing through the Sierra with high winds and rain at lake level, gusts over 100 mph and heavy snow over the passes. The winter storm warning is in effect until 4:00 a.m. Friday, November 17.

The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) and the Eldorado National Forest (ENF) will begin the sale of Christmas tree permits on Monday, November 13, 2017. Permit holders may choose from a variety of pine, fir or cedar trees up to six inches in diameter at the base in designated cutting areas. Trees must be cut on the forest where the permit was purchased (the ENF is south and west of the Lake Tahoe Basin, on the west slope).

Is the snow blower tuned up and full of gas? Have you replaced that broken shovel from last year? Did you get your snow tires on your car? Is the outdoor furniture put away or covered?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions you've most likely been paying attention to the weather reports that snow is on the way to Lake Tahoe.

As the road construction season winds down, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has announced the following work schedules on roads in the Lake Tahoe Basin and El Dorado County:

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

“The weather will continue to change on and off for a long, long time," said the late comedian George Carlin.

Expect a week of changes.

The week ahead in Lake Tahoe will seem a wide spectrum in weather from sunny and near 70 to high winds and a chance of snow.

Before that question can be answered, we need to understand what a mega fire is. To be a mega fire it needs to meet these five points:

1. Starts near or in a high fire danger area during approaching or actual red flag conditions,
2. Escapes the initial attack,
3. Develops into a campaign fire covering a large area,
4. Requires thousand of firefighters and extensive additional resources to bring final containment,
5. Often cause huge property and other cultural losses in addition to vegetation destroyed.

The Table Fire burning west of Lake Tahoe, three miles northeast of Ice House Reservoir, is now at 250 acres and 20 percent contained.

Crews worked on line preparation on the east, west, and south sides of the fire yesterday. The north direct line is completed. They started tactical burning operations on the northeast corner to remove fuel between the prepared line and the fire.

Overnight fire conditions were very active on several fronts forcing additional
evacuations across Northern California. Firefighters are battling 22 large
wildfires that have burned nearly 170,000 acres. Firefighters are bracing for
the winds to shift this evening and increase in speed. 17 people are confirmed
to have died in the wildfires this week. 11 people alone died in the Tubbs Fire,
making it the 6th deadliest fire in our state’s history.
While damage assessment continues on all the fires, it is estimated that at

9:30AM Update 10/11 - Fire was active last night as it slowly backed down the mountain towards the indirect check lines. The fire is in remote country and not threatening any structures.

So far, 50 acres have burned and it is 10 percent contained.

The smoke from the Table fire is visible from Highway 50 and the Tahoe Basin. This is a lightning start from a previous storm that Sunday's high wind event activated.

Note: the smoke blanketing the Placerville and Pollock Pines areas is not from the local fires.

The National Weather Service in Reno has issued a Lake Wind Advisory for Lake Tahoe, which is in effect until noon today. Winds: East to northeast 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph this morning. Expect waves from two-four feet from mid-lake to western shores. Small boats, kayaks and paddle boards will be prone to capsizing and should remain off lake waters until conditions improve.

It will remain windy until mid-week.

After a winter when we learned more about atmospheric rivers that we ever wanted to, where the average storm seemed to be measured in feet instead of inches, and where the national attention of Lake Tahoe resulted in amazing photos, what is coming? After that relentless 2016-17 winter with flooding, blizzards, historic snowpack, and crazy winds, people are understandably interested in what next winter will bring. Is it time to freak-out yet?

Clear skies and light winds are expected through the coming week as a ridge of high pressure along the west coast gradually strengthens, leading a slow warming trend.

Aside from some freezing fog near Truckee and the Sierra Valley, benign conditions remain on tap for the near future as that high pressures continues to build. According to some modules, there is the potential for cooler and wetter weather toward the end of the first week of October, but in the meantime its dry with above normal temperatures by the weekend.

Here is the forecast from the National Weather Service in Reno:

The Slinkard Fire is currently located on the west slope of Antelope Valley, west of Topaz Lake and eight miles north of Walker, Calif. After being started by lightning on August 29, it has burned through cheat grass, sagebrush and pinyon/juniper.

418 firefighting crew members are working the fire which is located in Alpine and Mono counties in California and Douglas County in Nevada.

UPDATE 9/3 9:00pm - 9,051 acres have now burned in the Slinkard Fire near Topaz Lake. It remains at 20 percent contained.

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UPDATE 9/2 2:45PM - The Slinkard Fire is burning in three counties and two states: Mono, Alpine and Douglas County in California and Nevada. It has consumed 7,881 acres since starting by lightning on August 29. Firefighters now have a containment line around 20 percent of the fire. It is located in Slinkard Valley, and on the west slope of Antelope Valley, west of Topaz Lake and eight miles north of Walker, Calif.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The body of Dan Pham, the man missing in Lake Tahoe after a kayaking trip, has been found by an underwater search team just a few days after they found the body of 11-year-old Marcos Vasquez.

On June 8, 2017, Pham, whose full name is Pham Dan Vu Thanh, called a friend at 9:15 a.m. to tell him he was going kayaking and camping in the Lester Beach area. As of 6:15 p.m. that evening there had been no word from Dan.

UPDATE 6:29PM: Carson City Fire Chief Sean Slamon said conditions are looking better this evening, with the fire around 70 to 75 percent contained. There is not acreage estimate yet but it is likely around 100 acres and probably less than 200 acres, he said.

“Around 100 firefighters are on scene battling the blaze as well as two airplanes and two helicopters. We have released some resources now so they can go to other fires in the region.”

Evacuations remain in place for now in Voltaire Canyon and Carson Colony areas. The cause of the fire is believed to be a lightning strike.

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