Snow totals to be measured in feet at Tahoe this weekend

A white Christmas it will be in Lake Tahoe. And a sunny one.

But before Tuesday arrives there is going to be a lot of shoveling and snow blowing in the basin.

A winter storm warning is in effect from Friday at 6am to Monday at 4am.

Expect to see this sign for the next few days in and around Lake Tahoe. Photo/LTN file

“There’s very high confidence of several feet of snow in the Sierra starting (Friday),” a National Weather Service spokeswoman in Reno told Lake Tahoe News.

The brunt of the storm is expected to arrive Saturday. That night into Sunday 1 to 2 feet of snow could fall at lake level, with 3 feet above 7,000 feet.

“The highest accumulations will occur along and west of Highway 89 where up to 5 feet is possible above 7,000 feet and up to 3 feet below 7,000 feet,” the Weather Service is predicting.

Wind is already gusting, and it will continue to do so. Ridgetops could see gusts of 100 mph. This will lead to whiteout conditions for motorists.

For road info, click on the state icons on the home page of Lake Tahoe News.

And the highs are not expected to reach the 40s.

If you need to know more, check out this video from the National Weather Service in Reno:

— Lake Tahoe News staff report