Snowmageddon Forecast: NorCal Mountains Could See 100+ Inches of Snow this Weekend

Photo by UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow La

This is turning out to be a historic winter in Northern California.

For over a week, weather enthusiasts have had their eyes on the Category 3 atmospheric river that entered into the region on Thursday. As it mega storm arrived in NorCal, the National Weather Service has upgraded its forecast and it could bring 100+ inches of snow to an already hefty snowpack.

The snowfall forecast is much larger than initially thought:

The snow will bring extreme conditions throughout the NorCal mountains, with high-elevation travel highly discouraged. It’s likely that most, if not all, of the mountain roads will close this week.

The news of this massive snowstorm comes right after Tahoe experienced its snowiest October through February period since 1970. It’s also already the fifth snowiest winter at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab near Donner Summit since it was constructed in 1946.

What’s even more astounding is another storm will enter the region on Monday and bring yet another 4 feet of snow the the mountains. That would mean Lassen Volcanic National Park could see 180 inches in the next week. Here’s next week’s forecast:

To put everything in perspective, some ski resorts in Tahoe are already approaching 700 inches. if it continues to snow at this type of astounding clip, the region could see just the third winter in recorded history that surpassed 800 inches.

History is at our fingertips.

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

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