It happens every year.
Springtime arrives in Tahoe as glorious as ever. The mountains begin to wake up after a long, cold winter. Days are longer, birds get louder, streams swell with snowmelt. I might even be so bold as to start wearing sandals.
And then a late season snowstorm rolls in and interrupts the warmth, making all of us in Tahoe beyond cranky and irritated. Such is life in the mountains.
By now, I’m ready for it. A sneaker spring snowstorm in Tahoe is predictable, if not guaranteed. A word of advice for high altitude gardeners: Wait until winter's last hurrah before planting tomatoes. Because it will snow in May, sometimes a lot. Or even in June. We have to brace ourselves and get it over with. Only then can we finally breathe a sigh of relief at summer’s long-awaited arrival.
On Thursday, snow started falling intensely in the mountains near Truckee and Lake Tahoe. The National Weather Service said that cold, slow-moving storms and scattered snow showers will continue intermittently through Saturday. Lower elevation roadways are likely to be slick, with some light accumulation and possible chain control if heavier snow falls on higher mountain passes.
While snow didn't accumulate in the basin, many folks in Truckee documented the storm on social media, with videos of snowflakes falling atop flowers and freshly potted plants.
Tahoe snow forecaster Bryan Allegretto at Open Snow said earlier this week that temperatures would drop into the 30s at higher elevations in the region, with ridgetop winds. Allegretto said Thursday’s snowfall would be the strongest, with storms tapering into the weekend.
With drought conditions and a below-average snowpack across the Sierra Nevada, any bit of moisture is welcomed, even if it's mildly irritating. And yet, small storms like this are hardly enough to give spring’s runoff the boost it needs in such a dry year. As Allegretto says, this late in the spring, the ground is already so warm that a storm like this won’t result in much accumulation for snow on the ground.
Starting next week, weather patterns go back to their regularly scheduled program: a high-pressure march into summer.
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