Lake Tahoe weather: With 16-plus inches of snow, winter is finally here

TRUCKEE, Calif. — Nearly a foot and a half of snow fell at high-elevation areas across the Truckee-Tahoe region this weekend, and with more snow in the forecast, it’s shaping up to be a white Thanksgiving.

A winter storm moved into the region at about noon on Saturday, bringing plenty of wet snow with it up top — and some rain down low — before tapering off midday Sunday.

Projections were for as much as 16 inches of snow to fall at high elevations, and the storm did not disappoint.

While official snowfall totals from the storm were slow to be updated Monday morning, Sugar Bowl Resort at Donner Summit in Norden, Calif., reported 16 inches had fallen as of Sunday.

A few miles east from Sugar Bowl, Boreal Mountain Resort, located off Interstate 80, also reported 16 inches of snow as of Sunday.

Elsewhere, according to unofficial totals published at resort websites, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows had seen 7 inches as of Sunday, while Homewood Mountain Resort, on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore, saw 6 inches fall at higher elevation levels.

Meanwhile, according to the National Weather Service in Reno, the greater Tahoe-Truckee region will be under a winter weather advisory from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 10 a.m. Wednesday this week.

As much as 4 to 8 inches of snow is forecast above 7,000 feet, according to NWS, with 1 to 4 inches possible at lake level.

“The heaviest snowfall will likely be between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 4 a.m. Wednesday morning,” according to NWS.

The storms, coupled with recent cold temperatures, will allow several more downhill ski resorts to open by Thanksgiving.

This past Friday, Mt. Rose and Boreal opened to kick off the season, with Heavenly, Northstar and Squaw/Alpine set to open this Wednesday, Nov. 23.