Winter is expected to return with a vengeance to the Lake Tahoe Basin this week.

A winter storm watch is in effect from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon.

The National Weather Service in Reno is calling for possible snow accumulations of 12 to 18 inches at lake level, 1 to 2 feet above 7,000 feet and up to 3 feet near the sierra crest.

Winds will be out of the southwest at 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph on Tuesday. Ridge gusts may hit 110 mph.

Although the storm watch is in effect for that time period, the Weather Service is calling for snow today through Thursday night.

The highs will start off today in the 40s before dropping to the teens on Thursday. The overnight lows will be in the 20s, with 12 forecast for Thursday night. There is a six-degree spread for Thursday with the high that day in the basin slated to be 18 degrees.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report