Thursday – Friday Weather:
The storm that moved through Tuesday into Wednesday dropped several inches of fresh snow on the mountain, with up to a foot on the upper mountain.
We have a cold Thursday morning with temperatures starting out in the 20s. But we will see mostly sunny skies Thursday and Friday, with highs into the 50s for the lower elevations and 40s for the higher elevations.
Weekend Showers:
A weak system moving through the region over the weekend will increase the available moisture for mountain lift, combined with daytime heating lift, to bring us some afternoon showers. On Sunday, we may even see some morning showers as well.
Highs only in the 40s for the lower elevations and 30s for the higher elevations. Highs may barely reach 40 degrees at the base on Sunday. The northern Sierra could see up to half an inch of precipitation near the crest by Monday morning.
The snow levels are forecast to be around 7000-7500 ft. on Saturday with the afternoon showers, with rain for the lower mountain. Sunday, the snow levels are forecast to drop to near the base, especially with the heavier afternoon showers.
We could see wet snow to the base on Sunday, but not expecting much in the way of accumulations. The upper mountain could see a coating on Saturday, and 1-3 inches on Sunday. If you plan to go skiing this weekend, dress warm and be ready for afternoon snow showers on the upper mountain.
Spring Pattern Next Week:
Next week, we will transition to a typical April pattern with a chance for afternoon showers to pop up over the mountains most days, but mostly sunny outside of that. Highs warming back into the 50s for the lower elevations and 40s for the higher elevations, and near 60 degrees at the base some days. That is average for late April.
Long-Range Outlook:
The long-range models show that high pressure could build in slightly stronger over the region by the start of May. That could reduce the chance for afternoon showers for the first weekend in May, and bring us slightly milder temperatures.
Some models are showing another trough and a chance for a storm around the 5th of May. We’ll keep an eye on that. I plan to write forecasts until the mountain closes sometime in May.
BA
