Incline Village Real Estate. Tahoe Weather Update 1/29/2011
Jan. 29 2011
Incline Village's weather pattern, like much of the nation's, remains stuck in place for the moment. There will be a brief interruption this weekend, but then things will likely settle back to where they've been for most of January.
A lot of this has to do with the strong Hudson Bay low that's been bringing an extended period of cold and snow to the eastern United States. As long as that low remains in place, our high pressure over the Pacific Coast will also be stuck. They're like cars backed up on a busy stretch of road.
That ridge of high pressure takes every storm that comes our way and sends it north into the Pacific Northwest and Canada, before the storms drop back down into the U.S. interior.
This weekend we should see a change as the high pressure ridge shifts and an "inside slider" storm comes down the backside of the ridge and the eastern side of the mountains. Computer forecast models differ on how far west this storm will come, but it is looking as if it will make it to the Sierra Crest, and as far south as Highway 50, before it continues it path to the east. That's a bit of good news for snow watchers.
Under the wettest of the scenarios, we could see a few inches of snow on Tahoe's Peaks, perhaps three to six inches if everything goes just right. Snow levels will be 4000 to 5000 feet. And we should see more in the north than in the south.
The bad news is that once this storm moves by, the ridge will strengthen again and we will return to the warm and dry pattern we've seen all month. That pattern will remain at least through the middle of next week, possibly longer. It's still looking as if we should see a more dramatic change in the pattern before the second week in February. But that's a while to wait yet. Let's hope it happens sooner.
Temperature forecasts:
Tahoe City:
Thursday 49
Friday 47
Saturday 45
Sunday 34
At 7000 feet:
Thursday 55
Friday 56
Saturday 50
Sunday 36
Tahoe Suggestions: Martis Peak Snowshoe hike
Looking for something to do on one of these balmy winter days when the slopes are bulletproof? Try a snowshoe hike to the Martis Peak fire lookout. It's an 8-mile roundtrip, a half day excursion well within the reach of most fit, outdoor oriented people. See our description of the hike, with photos, here.
MONTHLY WEATHER ALMANAC JANUARY
Low: -4 on Jan. 10
Average temp: 26.4
Departure from norm: -2.0
Precipitation: .19
Normal precip for the entire month: 5.35
Percent of normal for the month: 4%
Total snowfall: 1.3 inches
Low: -1 on Jan. 4
Average temp: 31.5
Departure from norm: 3.6
Precipitation (water content): .18
Normal precip for the month: 5.6 inches
Percent of normal for the entire month: 3%
Total snowfall: 1.2 inches
