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Please make sure you plan your travels accordingly and leave yourself enough time to get there slowly!

Somber Snowstorms:

We typically stick just to weather and skiing on this site. Weather and mountains for me have always been an escape from the noise of life, and we like to provide that for you, too. Weather with a side of skiing is what we serve here, not much in the way of news, and never politics or anything else that you can get almost anywhere else.

Living and recreating in the mountains and communities that we love, we deal with the risks that come along with that. I’ve lived in mountain communities and worked in the ski resort and weather industry for the last 35 years, and have seen a lot of tragedy, some hitting close to home. Many times, it doesn’t make the news as accidents happen regularly at work, at play, or while traveling through the mountains.

This week is different as all eyes were already on the Sierra with the biggest storm in 3 years approaching. Then tragedy struck Tuesday morning when an avalanche buried a group of local skiers and guides that were making their way back from a hut trip to get home as the storm was getting worse. 9 were buried and didn’t survive.

The combination of the big storm and then the worst CA avalanche tragedy in history, and the 2nd worst in the U.S., has made global news. So we don’t need to give you the news. I was out in the blizzard reporting Tuesday morning and heard the news Tuesday afternoon, but still had few details until after my early morning post Wednesday morning, which is why I didn’t mention it.

Many people (mostly from outside of our mountain community here in Tahoe) have been quick to criticize those involved, and I even woke up this morning to a message from a forecaster from another town in CA criticizing me for continuing the tradition yesterday of shaving my beard after 3+ feet of snow fell in 24 hours.

The reason I’m diverting from just the weather for a few minutes this morning is that this tragedy has affected our community, and it is very somber around town. I’ve been able to spend time with several close friends over the last few days and other locals in shops, and it’s what everyone is talking about, sometimes with tears, as we knew some of those involved, and we are remembering all of the friends we have lost over the years.

For those of us who live, work, and recreate in these beautiful mountains. We know the dangers, we respect them, but nature is ultimately in control. I’ve hit trees, fallen headfirst in deep snow and couldn’t get up without help, been in slides, slidden off the road driving, etc. It’s only by the grace of God that many of us are still here to see another day in these mountains.

So this week, while we are grateful for the much-needed snow and in awe of what nature can deliver to these mountains, we are watching it with somber hearts. We are sad as a community and for the families and friends involved. We have been praying for the families of those who didn’t make it out. We are hugging our kids a little tighter, our spouses a little longer, and embracing time spent with friends.

It always hits me hard when I know people involved, or I know that some read these forecasts every morning. Both are the case with this. I feel connected to all of you after 20 years of chasing storms together. Those lost loved this community, loved the mountains, and loved the weather they brought. When we lose people, sometimes we honor them by continuing to do the things they enjoyed with us.

This is not a week for criticizing. It’s for remembering, for community, and a reminder of the risks involved with enjoying these beautiful mountains. I’ll be helping the SAR teams with weather forecasts over the next couple of days as they search for the remaining person. Keep them and the victims’ families in your prayers.

Snowfall Reports:

The snow showers were firing all day on Wednesday, and were heavier than forecast NW of the lake. Several inches up to a foot, which was expected, turned into 1-2 additional feet NW of the lake, and the expected 8-13 inches for everyone else.