Posted March 2, 6:37 am MT 5:37 am PT
Snow Stake Cams
MSLP Surface Chart
Snow continues today scattered snow showers in the southern Cascades to heavy snow, later this morning, for Lake Tahoe. I don’t have any numbers for Palisades in regard to the 700 club. I will be traveling today so I won’t be able to update. The next paragraph is the chase from yesterday.
Palisades Tahoe is sitting at 678 inches, at their 8000 feet snow plot, and will surely reach the 700 Club by tonight. In the last 22 seasons, only 2016-17 reached the 700 mark (707). You can view their snowfall tracking page here. This may be the last big storm for Tahoe. Mammoth is chasing an inch and a half to break the all-time record.
In Utah, the California storm arrives around 10. Expect heavy snow through Friday as Alta inches closer to 800. Finally, Colorado gets in on the action tomorrow after lunch.
Forecast
Lake Tahoe
Today
There will likely be a brief lull in this morning and then the snow continues but not a heavy. Temperatures in the low 30’s at base level and in the mid to low 20’s at the peak. Windis will be much lighter, between 15-20 with gusts around the mid 30’s. Upper mountain wind gust in the mid 40’s.
The snow will continue Wednesday night and should wrap by midnight. Below is the surface wind chart. I thought it looked pretty cool, due to the large circulation of the cut-off low.
Utah
Heavy snow expected with totals in the 4-8 range before the lifts close. We will see Temperatures around 30 degrees, and falling throughout the day, settling with a low around 18 degrees at 6700 feet.
Heavy snow throughout the night setting up a nice powder day for Thursday.
Thursday
Snow with heavy snow squalls continuing. Temperatures in the low 20’s at base level with moderate winds between 15-20 mph with ridgetop winds in the 30-mph range, gusting to 40 mph. Snow continues Thursday evening with another nice powder day expected for Friday.
Friday
Snow continues Friday morning but should end by 10 am. Expect scattered snow showers the rest of the day. Temperatures will top out in the mid 20’s with light winds.
Next System Sunday Morning
Colorado
Mostly sunny skies today with light winds from the southwest bringing us warm temperatures that will top out in the mid 40’s. Tonight, temperatures drop to the low teens for a cold start to Thursday.
Tomorrow
We will start off the day with cold temperatures and light winds, increasing to strong winds by mid to late morning. Winds will be in the 20-25 mph range with gusts around 40 mph, add 10 mph to the passes. Snow will begin between noon and 2 pm, coupled with the strong winds, we could see whiteout conditions above tree line.
Thursday Night
Snow continues with most of the snow falling after the lifts closed on Thursday. Temperatures in the low 20’s.
Friday
Scattered snow showers possible as any lingering waves of snow move through. Winds pick up again in the strong category, between 20-25 mph with 35 mph gusts.
Colorado Calendars thru May
Utah Calendar To Date
Tahoe Calendar
Below is the Lake Tahoe Calendar we published back on February 2nd. I have gone back and took a look at the calendars to see how we have done. The green squares are on the Long-Range Forecast prediction chart. Yellow squares are storms that have hit at least one cycle. Red Circles and X’s are misses and the Blue brackets are storms that have hit at within one day.
I am really happy with this calendar. We have tried to figure out the Lake, as it is on a different type of cycle, due to its location away from the general pattern jet stream. We are improving, the patent pending model has made forecasting Lake Tahoe easier.
Long-Range Forecast Predictions are out thru April
Pacific Northwest Cascade Mountains
Crystal Mountain, Mount Hood Meadows, Timberline, 49 Degrees North, Bachelor, Mt Baker,
Lake Tahoe Sierra Mountains
Heavenly, Palisades Tahoe, Kirkwood, Dodge Ridge, Donner Ski Ranch
Utah Wasatch Mountains
Alta, Park City, Deer Valley, Brighton, Snowbird, Brian Head
Colorado Rocky Mountains
Aspen, Aspen Highlands, Snowmass, Vail, Beaver Creek, Winter Park, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Powderhorn, Ski Cooper, Telluride, Crested Butte, Silverton, Wolf Creek, Eldora, Loveland