It’s Official: Cinco De Mayo Was the Snowiest Day of the Season in the Sierra
Over the weekend, a rare spring storm swept through Northern California, bringing substantial snowfall to the Sierra Nevada and heavy rains across the region. This unusual weather not only disrupted travel but also set a new record for single-day snowfall for the season.
While people were celebrating Cinco De Mayo on Sunday, the Sierra Nevada experienced a remarkable snowfall of 26.4 inches (67 centimeters), as reported by the University of California, Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab. This event surpassed the previous highest single-day snowfall of the season, recorded on March 3rd, by 2.6 inches (6.6 centimeters).
“Did anyone have the snowiest day of the 2023/2024 season being in May on their winter bingo card?” wrote the Snow Lab on X.
5/5/24 9:35am Update:
— UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab (@UCB_CSSL) May 5, 2024
Did anyone have the snowiest day of the 2023/2024 season being in May on their winter bingo card?
This storm dropped 26.4" (67 cm) in the last day, making May 5th the snowiest day of the season at the lab. It beat 2nd place (March 3rd) by 2.6" (6.5 cm)! pic.twitter.com/iEg01CyabX
The heavy snow created dangerous driving conditions, leading to the closure of several key highways around Lake Tahoe, including Interstate 80 over the Donner Summit. Rainfall in the Bay Area reached up to an inch (2.5 centimeters), while temperatures dropped into the low 40s (around 5 degrees Celsius). Additionally, wind gusts of up to 40 mph (64 kph) were reported near San Francisco on Saturday.
And Palisades Tahoe, the only Tahoe ski resort still open, experienced a powder day for the ages:
What an incredible end to the winter season! Are we done yet?
