Follow-up: Winter Storm Warnings in Effect for the Sierra Nevada, With Up to 20 Inches of Snow Near Lake Tahoe and Ridge Gusts of 70 to 90 mph

Winter storm warnings issued by the National Weather Service for California's Sierra Nevada took effect on Friday morning, November 13: about 12 inches of snow above 7,000 feet around Lake Tahoe, up to 20 inches along the crest west of the lake, and 6 to 12 inches above 6,000 feet in the northern Sierra, with up to 18 inches on the highest peaks. Most warnings run until 10 a.m. Saturday, as the first in a series of Pacific storms brings the mountains their first major snowfall of the season.

Under the Sacramento office's warning, the northern Sierra above 6,000 feet, including Interstate 80, U.S. Highway 50 and state routes 4 and 108, as well as the Lassen Volcanic National Park area, will see 6 to 12 inches from 10 a.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday, with about 18 inches on the highest peaks, roughly 2 inches possible down to 5,000 feet, and winds gusting to 60 mph. The weather service cautions that travel in the mountains could be very difficult.

Around Lake Tahoe, where the Reno office issues the forecasts, the heaviest snow is expected between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday, at rates of 1 to 2 inches an hour and up to 3 inches an hour on the crest, with ridge gusts of 70 to 90 mph and 35 to 45 mph in the lakeside towns. A separate warning for Mono County, in effect from 1 p.m. Friday, calls for 1 to 2 feet of snow above 7,000 feet. Farther south, the Hanford office's warning for the high country of Yosemite outside the valley floor and for Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks runs longer, with up to 18 inches above 6,000 feet and gusts near 50 mph.

The same storm is also bringing high surf and coastal flooding concerns to the Central Coast. Forecasters expect a brief break Saturday afternoon into Sunday before another system arrives Sunday night into Monday. Drivers crossing the Sierra should prepare for winter conditions and follow the latest National Weather Service and Caltrans advisories.

Related: National Weather Service upgrades Sierra Nevada winter storm watch to a warning on November 12

(Source: National Weather Service)

Source: National Weather Service

Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：冬日的优胜美地国家公园。本周 Sierra Nevada 迎来冬季风暴。Wikimedia Commons 图片（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 / Photo: Yosemite National Park in winter, as a winter storm reaches the Sierra Nevada this week. Wikimedia Commons image (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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