Storm is finally 'out of here'

Area residents can finally dare to hope the storm has passed.

The low-pressure system that has hovered just off the West Coast for a week, dumping wave after wave of snow and rain across California and snow in the Sierra, finally moved inland Tuesday afternoon leaving in its wake mostly clear skies.

Scott McGuire of the National Weather Service said the storm "kind of spared us this last wave" by passing south of Mammoth Lakes.

""Basically, it's finally out of here," he said. "Everything should be clearing for the most part."

Forecasters canceled the winter storm warning and snow advisories for the Tahoe Basin and western Nevada on Tuesday afternoon.

The forecast for today is mostly sunny with some patchy fog and southwest winds 10 mph or less. Highs will range into the upper 30s through Friday.

But McGuire said clear skies also mean colder nights because the area is no longer under the insulating blanket of clouds that has kept nighttime temperatures in the upper 20s.

"Without the clouds, it'll be single digits at night through Friday," he said.

Lows could drop to just 4 degrees tonight.

And that, of course, means wet patches from melting snow during the daytime hours will become very slick after the sun goes down.

McGuire said the forecast will be similar through next Tuesday with mostly sunny but cool days and chilly nights.

He said there will be patches of freezing fog in the evening and early morning hours, but that there are no new storms on the radar scope at this point.