Gusts of up to 90 mph and as much as 24 inches of snow are in the forecast from Friday into Saturday under winter storm warnings from the National Weather Service. The warnings take the place of earlier winter storm watches, and forecasters now expect near-whiteout conditions at times. Power outages could also leave some gas stations and EV chargers without electricity.
Where the Wind and Snow Hit Hardest
The strongest gusts in the Reno office’s winter storm warnings reach 70 to 90 mph over the ridges around Lake Tahoe. Lakeside towns from Stateline and Incline Village to Truckee can expect 35 to 45 mph, and waves of 2 to 4 feet on the lake. Along the crest west of Tahoe, snow totals could hit 20 inches. Mono County gets 12 to 24 inches above 7,000 feet around Mammoth Lakes, Lee Vining and Bridgeport, with gusts of 45 to 55 mph along Highway 395.
Above 6,000 feet, the Sacramento office’s winter storm warning for the Northern Sierra covers Interstate 80, Highway 50 and Lassen Volcanic National Park. Forecasters expect up to 12 inches there and as much as 24 inches on the highest peaks, with gusts to 60 mph. Snow levels drop to 5,500 to 6,500 feet by Saturday morning. NWS Las Vegas has 5 to 10 inches in the forecast for the Eastern Sierra Slopes above 7,000 feet.
Timing Friday Into Saturday
The Sacramento and Lake Tahoe warnings run from 1 p.m. ET Friday to 1 p.m. ET Saturday; Mono County from 4 p.m. ET Friday to 1 p.m. ET Saturday; and the Eastern Sierra Slopes until 7 p.m. ET Saturday. The heaviest snow is due to start Friday night, around the time of the evening commute, and into Saturday morning.
A lull is expected from Saturday afternoon through Sunday, with more snow arriving Sunday night into Monday. Farther south, NWS Hanford has a winter storm watch for Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks until 7 a.m. ET Tuesday, with 6 to 12 inches above 6,000 feet.
Power Outages, Gas Pumps and EV Chargers
The Sacramento and Reno offices warn that wind and heavy, wet snow could bring down trees and power lines. Gas stations without backup generators cannot pump fuel during an outage. After Hurricane Irma in 2017, NPR reported that thousands of Florida stations stayed closed for that reason even with fuel in their tanks. Public EV chargers can also become unavailable during power outages.
Drivers heading into the mountains should fill up or charge before leaving. A full tank or battery also matters if traffic stops in near-whiteout conditions and the heater has to run for a while.
EV Range on a Cold Mountain Drive
In AAA testing, electric cars lost an average of 41 percent of their range at 20 degrees with the heater on. Climbing a Sierra pass also takes more energy than driving on flat highways, while cold batteries charge more slowly at DC fast chargers. Preconditioning the battery while plugged in helps preserve range and speeds up charging.
The warnings suggest keeping an extra flashlight, food and water in the car and calling 511 for road conditions.
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