Snowfall Report
We were expecting 24-hour snowfall of 11-19 inches of snow by Saturday morning, and 7-13″ at the base. We picked up the lower end of the forecast with the upper mountain picking up 11 inches of new snow over the past 24 hours, and 7 inches at the base.
No complaints as that brings the 4-day storm total to 48 inches ( 4 feet) so far, and more to come through Monday!
Christmas Day:
Saturday we should see moderate to heavy snow with gusty winds continuing. Ridgetop gusts up of up to 90+ mph from the southwest, which could continue to close some upper mountain lifts. Highs in the 20s at the base and teens up top with the wind making it feel even colder.
The steady snow continues into Saturday night and becomes lighter into early Sunday. The snow ratios increase Saturday into Saturday night as much colder air pushes in. That will bring fluffy powdery snow to the mountain. We could see an additional 23-30 inches at the base and 28-39 inches on the mountain by Sunday morning.
Sunday:
We could see another lull Sunday with lighter or scattered snow showers. Then things pick back up Sunday night as another storm moves in. Cold air, low snow levels & high snow ratios continue with powdery snow continuing to pile up on the mountain. Highs continuing to be the teens & 20s. But the ridgetop winds continue to gust up to 90+ mph.
We could see an additional 13-19 inches of snow at the base and 17-25 inches on the mountain.
Monday:
The heaviest snow could fall Monday morning and then lighter for the afternoon. Then scattered snow showers could linger into Monday evening as we start to clear. We could see strong gusts in the morning, but the winds may finally come down into the afternoon, with gusts of only up to 50+ mph by afternoon. That could open some upper mountain lifts that have been on wind hold.
We could see an additional 6-11 inches of snow at the base and 8-14 inches on the mountain. In total up to 3.5 – 5 feet of additional snowfall is possible at the base and 4.5 – 6.5 feet on the mountain by Tuesday morning!
Tuesday – Wednesday:
Tuesday and Wednesday it stays cold but the winds are lighter. Highs are still in the teens and 20s. We could see some clouds and sun as well as a few snow showers as the next storm moves down the West Coast and could brush us with light precipitation. More details on potential snowfall, if any, as we get closer.
Long-Range:
The latest forecast model runs suggest that we could see an inside slider systems drop down from the north on the east side of the Sierra on New Year’s Eve. That could bring more snow showers or light snow. Highs remain in the 20s on the mountain and 30s at the base through the end of the week into New Year’s weekend.
We could see a cold but drier pattern to start January, but the pattern could shift by the 3rd with more storms possible through the end of the 1st week of January. More details as we get closer.
Merry Christmas!
BA
