An unusually strong cold front was moving through Northern California on Friday, bringing a rare chance of snow in August for the Sierra Nevada mountains.
A low-pressure system from the Pacific Ocean is causing a sudden change in weather, dropping temperatures and creating conditions for showers and thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday. However, the weather is expected to return to normal by Sunday.
For the first time in over 20 years, snow might fall in August on some of the highest peaks in California’s Sierra Nevada, especially around Tioga Pass and the highest points of Yosemite National Park. The last time snow fell in this area in August was in 2003.
Although the snow won’t last long, roads near Tioga Pass could be slippery, and campers and hikers should prepare for cold conditions.
There’s about a 50% chance of light snow early Saturday, with the possibility of brief snowfall on peaks over 8,000 feet.
Tony Fuentes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno, mentioned that while it’s not common, it’s also not unheard of to get snow in late August. Any snow that does fall is not expected to accumulate much.
Some ski resorts in the Tahoe area, like Palisades Tahoe, are keeping an eye out for snow on Saturday morning. Patrick Lacey, a spokesperson for the resort, said it’s extremely rare for the area to see new snow in August, as it’s usually one of the warmest months in Tahoe. The last time it snowed in August there was in 2004.
The cold front will give the area a taste of fall, with some record cold temperatures expected. For example, the Tahoe area will experience highs on Friday and Saturday that are 15 to 20 degrees below average.
Tahoe City is forecasted to tie its record for the coldest high temperature on this date at 58 degrees, while South Lake Tahoe is expected to have a high of 62 degrees, which is 5 degrees below the previous record.
The low temperatures will be felt across Northern California, but the main concern is the possibility of rain and thunderstorms. Officials have issued a flash flood watch for Friday and Saturday around the Park fire burn scar, which covers parts of Butte, Tehama, Plumas, and Shasta counties.
The Park fire has burned nearly 430,000 acres and was 65% contained as of Friday. Moderate to heavy rainfall could cause flash flooding and debris flows in low-lying areas around the burn scar.
Up to half an inch of rain is expected in some areas from Friday night to Saturday morning, particularly in Shasta County and around Redding.
Thunderstorms could also bring small hail, lightning, and gusty winds, mainly in the northern Sacramento Valley.
Gusty winds across the state could increase the risk of wildfires, with Kern County facing an elevated fire risk through Saturday.
The cold temperatures will quickly give way to more typical August weather, with seasonal highs returning by Sunday and Monday. Long-term forecasts even suggest that higher-than-average temperatures could return for the rest of the month.
