Kiss the blue skies goodbye because winter is returning.

Wind, snow and cold are in the forecast beginning Thursday and continuing through Friday.

The cold front will bring winds gusts of 40 mph in the Lake Tahoe Basin and 75 mph on the ridges.

“Temperatures will plummet Friday into the weekend with highs around 10-15 degrees below normal,” the National Weather Service in Reno is forecasting.

Expect 3 to 6 inches of snow, with the most amount accumulating above 7,000 feet.

 — Lake Tahoe News staff report