We have one more warm and sunny day Wednesday before some substantial changes settle in for the rest of the week. As cold air drops down out of the arctic, the warm and dry air ahead of that will boost our high temperature into the low 70s Wednesday. As the cold front approaches on Thursday, highs will fall to the mid-60s and the winds will start to pick up late in the day. The front arrives Friday kicking up some strong winds in the valleys, with snow levels dropping below pass levels late in the day. A Winter Storm Watch has been posted from Friday evening through late Saturday night for the mountains and the Tahoe basin. Snowfall amounts will vary greatly depending on elevation and position in the Tahoe Basin, but generally a few inches at the lake up to a foot or more on the crests of the mountains are likely outcomes by the end of the weekend.

In the valleys, the winds will limit rainfall on Friday, but some spillover is expected on Saturday. As the cold air moves in, snow levels could touch on the lower valleys, but accumulations aren’t expected unless you live fairly high up in the foothills.