Alpine Meadows, California 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

916
FXUS65 KREV 112056
AFDREV

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Reno NV
156 PM PDT Sat Apr 11 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

* Colder this weekend with rain and mountain snow increasing this
  evening and overnight, producing winter travel impacts for the
  Sierra. Rain and snow showers continue through Sunday evening.

* A slight 10-20% chance for additional thunderstorms continue
  through Sunday afternoon.

* Periods of gusty-strong winds this weekend, with peak gusts in
  the Sierra extending into Mineral County from late this
  afternoon through late tonight.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

* Storm Timing through Tonight: We`re currently in a break
  between yesterday`s activity and the arrival of the main storm
  toward sunset, apart from a few light showers near/west of the
  Sierra crest with snow levels near 7000-7500 ft. The latest high
  resolution guidance continues to indicate increasing precip
  rates in the Sierra/northeast CA between 5-8 PM with little
  change in snow levels. Then from late evening and overnight as
  the main low moves onshore accompanied by a cold front, snow
  levels will quickly drop to lake level around Tahoe and then
  bottom out to near 4000-4500 ft in the pre-dawn hours Sunday,
  near the tail end of the main precip band.

* Winds through Sunday: Ahead of this precip band, S-SW winds will
  continue increasing later this afternoon through tonight.
  Signals point to a 4-6 hour period of stronger gusts near 50 mph
  with wind prone areas reaching 60 mph in Mineral/southern Lyon
  County, therefore a Wind Advisory was issued. Elsewhere we can
  expect gusts of 25-40 mph with a few gusts to 50 mph in wind
  prone areas and also briefly along the cold front. Sierra ridge
  gusts peak at 80+ mph tonight, and remain in the 50-70 mph range
  through Sunday evening before diminishing overnight. As for
  winds today, expect southerly winds across the region. We`ll see
  another round of brisk SW-W winds on Sunday, with gusts mainly
  25-35 mph.

* Sierra Snow Rates through Sunday: Guidance still shows a period
  of heavier snowfall rates reaching 2-3"/hour from around 10-11
  PM late tonight through 3-4 AM Sunday morning in the Sierra.
  Avoid travel if possible across Sierra passes as roads will
  rapidly become snow covered. For the latest forecast snow totals
  with this storm, please see the current Winter Storm Warnings.
  Additional snow shower bands developing during the day Sunday
  could produce brief 1-2"/hour snow rates and produce periods of
  slick travel especially for Sierra passes. The shower activity
  is projected to wind down Sunday evening.

* Foothill/Lower Elevation Rain/Snow: The majority of precip in
  western NV will fall as rain (ranging from trace amounts to
  0.20", except up to 0.50" for foothills). However, snow levels
  will drop low enough for snow in foothill locations early
  Sunday morning around western NV. Current guidance shows a
  30-50% for up to 1" of accumulation above 5000 feet, including
  Virginia City. We also can not rule a brief rain/snow mix on the
  valley floors in western NV early Sunday morning, but given the
  recent warm conditions, no accumulations are anticipated.

* Thunderstorm Chances This Weekend: Thunderstorms currently over
  the I-5 corridor will approach the Sierra through this
  afternoon. However, these storms will move into limited
  instability with thicker cloud cover in place, keeping the
  chance for lightning below 20% near the Sierra crest northward
  to western Lassen County. Then with the cold front tonight, a
  few lightning strikes could pop up over northwest and west
  central NV, and also in the Sierra during the peak snow
  intensity. Sunday`s chilly and showery regime with colder air
  aloft as the upper low center approaches western NV sets up the
  stage for isolated lightning with rain/snow or pellet showers,
  with this potential favoring northeast CA and west central NV
  near/east of US-95. Storm coverage and intensity will be much
  less compared to Friday afternoon.

* Sunday Night through Next Week: Temperatures dip to near
  freezing for western NV valleys Sunday night as cloud cover
  decreases. Then on Monday a cool northwest-north flow around the
  departing storm (along with a weak secondary wave dropping into
  northeast CA) could kick up a few light showers through the
  afternoon. We`ll then see a brief warmup through midweek with
  highs near mid- April averages (60s for lower elevations/low-mid
  50s near the Sierra) before another fast moving storm drops in
  with increasing winds, valley rain/mountain snow showers,
  followed by cooler than average temperatures through late next
  week. MJD

&&

.AVIATION...

* FL100 S-SW wind gusts increase to 70+ kt tonight then drop
  slightly to 50-60 kt through Sunday, resulting in widespread
  turbulence and periods of LLWS especially through tonight.
  Surface wind gusts at main terminals near 30 kt this afternoon
  through Sunday afternoon, with a 20-40% chance of brief gusts
  near 40 kt late tonight with the cold front passage.

* Snow rates increase in the Sierra tonight, producing IFR/LIFR
  conditions, with 3-6" of new snow by Sunday morning at all
  Sierra terminals (50th percentile). Spotty additional
  accumulations of 1-4" Sunday afternoon-evening within snow
  shower bands.

* Western NV terminals will primarily be rain, but could see some
  snow mix with rain late tonight into early Sunday morning,
  producing MVFR/brief IFR conditions. Chances for any runway
  snow accumulation are less than 10% at KRNO/KCXP/KMEV. Isolated
  rain/snow/pellet showers return Sunday afternoon-early evening
  with brief MVFR periods. MJD

&&

.AVALANCHE...

Periods of moderate to heavy snow will impact all avalanche
center terrain through Sunday evening.

* Snow totals, levels, and rates: Up to 2 ft of snow along the
  highest peaks for SAC terrain, and up to 18" for BAC/ESAC
  terrain. Snow levels 7000-7500 ft this afternoon and evening,
  then dropping below 5500 ft after midnight with all snow across
  avalanche center terrain through Sunday. Snowfall rates peak
  late tonight with a 2-4 hour period of 2-3"/hour rates from 10
  PM-2 AM for SAC terrain and 12-5 AM Sunday for BAC/ESAC terrain.
  Otherwise, rates of 1"/hr or less, except for brief bursts of
  1-2"/hour in heavier snow shower bands between 12-8 PM Sunday.

* SLRs and SWE: Snowfall ratios initially a denser 7-10:1 for SAC
  terrain and 9-12:1 for BAC/ESAC terrain through this evening.
  SLRs increase to 11-13:1 (less dense snow) as the colder air
  moves in after midnight through Sunday, with up to 15:1 in
  Sunday afternoon`s heavier snow shower bands. Additional SWE
  (50th percentile) through the remainder of the event mainly
  1.0-1.5", with locally up to 2" for higher SAC terrain.

* Thunder potential and wind gusts: Isolated thunder (10-20%) may
  accompany tonight`s heavy snow band along the main cold front,
  and also Sunday afternoon-evening. Peak ridge top wind gusts
  S-SW around 80 mph tonight (20-30% chance of 100 mph) and 60-70
  mph Sunday.

&&

.REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NV...Winter Storm Warning from 2 PM this afternoon to 11 PM PDT
     Sunday NVZ002.

     Wind Advisory from 2 PM this afternoon to 2 AM PDT Sunday NVZ001.

CA...Winter Weather Advisory from 2 PM this afternoon to 11 PM PDT
     Sunday CAZ071.

     Winter Storm Warning from 2 PM this afternoon to 11 PM PDT
     Sunday CAZ072-073.

&&

$$