It’s Officially Tahoe’s Snowiest October Through February Period Since 1970

The snow began to fall over Lake Tahoe in October and it hasn’t stopped much since. December and January saw large snowfall numbers, and now the final week of February has seen a blizzard of epic proportions.

The result? Tahoe has officially experienced its snowiest October through February period since 1970.

The folks at OpenSnow compiled a graph showing the Oct-Feb snowfall stats for the past 53 years, and the 2022-23 season just pulled ahead of the rest by surpassing 500 inches during the 5-month stretch. Check it out:

Officially the snowiest Oct-Feb period since 1970 as recorded by the Central Sierra Snow Lab near Donner Summit, and likely the highest since 1952. It's also the coldest winter recorded so far for Tahoe City since 1952, but I doubt we're getting to 800 inches again.@UCB_CSSL pic.twitter.com/KZy5SQIOz4

— Tahoe Weather (@TahoeWeather) February 28, 2023

Despite the historic snowfall this winter, it will still be very difficult to reach 800 inches – a mark that’s only been seen twice since recording began in the 1800s. But with an extended forecast showing a parade of storms heading towards California in the first two weeks of March, we may see snow accumulations surpass 700 inches.

After a decade of drought plaguing California, this snowy winter could bring significant improvements to the water issues in the state. Let’s keep it going!