Heat in Lake Tahoe keeps breaking records

By Kathryn Reed

Hot. That’s the word of the day. It’s the word for the last five days. It will probably be the word for today, too.

Sunday is expected to be the sixth consecutive day South Lake Tahoe has recorded a record high.

The following is data from the National Weather Service in Reno:

• June 8 – high 88, previous record was 83 in 1996

• June 7—high 88, previous record was 83 in 1996

• June 6 – high 85, previous record was 83 in 1996

• June 5 – high 85, previous record was 82 in 2002

• June 4 – high 83, previous record was 82 in 1996.

Roni Davis and Brenda Knox on June 8 stay cool paddling along Lake Tahoe. Photo/Kathryn Reed

“It’s pretty unusual to set record temperatures six days in a row,” NWS in REno meteorologist Zach Tolvy told Lake Tahoe News.

Records are breaking throughout California and into Nevada.

People have been flocking to Lake Tahoe this weekend to escape the more oppressive heat in other parts of Northern California where the mercury has been in the triple digits.

Once in Tahoe, the beaches have been a popular destination. Many people are venturing onto and into the water to cool off. Others can be found at the waterside eateries.

The temps in the basin are about 18 degrees above normal. Normal, though, should return on Monday.

But before that happens, thunderstorms are expected to roll through the basin and into western Nevada today, and linger into Monday.

“The biggest danger will probably be the wind,” Tolvy said. The Weather Service typically does not issue lake wind advisories with thunderstorms, but suffice it to say being on the lake as the storms come in is not advisable.

Gusts could exceed 60 mph today. It will be breezy most of the week.

The lake was pretty choppy Saturday afternoon – especially for those in human powered watercraft.

The thunderstorms are expected to be widespread and arrive midmorning to early afternoon, with some sticking around until the evening. Tolvy said they could be heavy in spots and are expected to be widespread.

Dry lightning will precede the rain, but is not seen as a serious fire threat.

For those hiking, remember lightning can strike far from where the thunder and/or rain are and standing on a slab of granite is not the best place to be.