Major Winter Storm Marching In On Incline Village 11/19/2010

Thursday, November 18, 2010

by Tim Lampe, Lakeshore Realty

Nov. 18, 2010
Go to my realtime weather cam for updates.

http://lamperealestate.com.realproserver.com/Incline-Village-Ski-Beach-Webcam

A winter storm watch has been posted for the western slope of the Sierra Nevada.

A cold and powerful low pressure system sagging south from the Gulf of Alaska should begin to make itself felt in Tahoe today with colder temperatures and gusting winds. Winds ahead of the storm are expected to reach 50 mph with gusts even higher along the Sierra's ridges.

This storm is not tapping into a tremendous amount of moisture. But it will have two things going for it. First, it has the ability to create some moisture of its own through convection, like a thunderstorm. Second, any moisture it does contain will be converted to snow at a very high rate because of the cold temperatures.

The snow-to-water ratio should reach 20-to-1 by Saturday at the higher elevations. That means that every inch of water that falls from the sky would be converted to 20 inches of snow.

Snow should be falling by Friday afternoon over parts of Tahoe, and over the entire area by Friday night. Snow levels will probably start out around 5000 to 6000 feet, quickly lowering to below 5,000 feet. The heaviest snow is expected to come Friday night and then again on Saturday night and Sunday morning. By Sunday night look for about a foot of new snow at lake level and three feet, possibly more, at the higher elevations.

After a break on Monday we could get another, smaller storm on Tuesday. But that system is going to come straight down from the north on the eastern side of the Sierra, so it may not deliver much of a punch to Tahoe.

The early forecast for Thanksgiving is clear and cold.

This past March, local photographer Ryan Salm set off on a four month journey to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, beginning his travels across Ethiopia. As it turned out, Ethiopia was an incredible story unto itself. His new show is "Travels Through Ethiopia - Tales of Sour Bread, Fire Wind, & Kalashnikovs". It will take you on a journey into the dark depths of a country and culture that date back to the times when Jesus walked the Earth. The journey stretches across one of the lowest points on the planet, up volcanoes, face to face with baboons, and into the heart of one of Africa's most unique tribal groups. It is a true tale of adventure mixed with heartache and awe that should not be missed. The show starts at 7pm, at the Sawtooth Ridge Cafe, in Tahoe City. The cafe will offer an earlybird dinner special starting at 5:30PM. Please call 583-2880 for reservations. This is a free event and everyone is welcomed. A raffle will follow the show with all proceeds to benefit Tahoe Free Heels. Come early for good seating. For more information please call Alpenglow Sports 583-6917

MONTHLY WEATHER ALMANAC NOVEMBER

TRUCKEE

High: 72 on November 3

Low: 16 on November 11

Average temp: 38.8

Departure from norm: +1.1

Precipitation: .88

Normal precip for the entire month: 3.83

Percent of normal for the month: 24%
Total snowfall: 2.4 inches

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

High: 68 on November 5

Low: 19 on November 9

Average temp: 41.9