Sierra Nevada storm watch: up to 2 feet of snow from Friday 13 November

Fresh snow and alpenglow at the top of the Heavenly gondola, Lake Tahoe, in April 2017, not the November 2026 storm. Photo: Jonathan Cook-Fisher via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

After two dry and warm weeks, a strong storm reaches the Sierra Nevada on Friday 13 November 2026. The National Weather Service issued winter storm watches from Lake Tahoe to Yosemite on Wednesday 11 November. They forecast up to 20 inches (51 cm) on the crest west of Lake Tahoe, and 1 to 2 feet (30–61 cm) above 7,000 feet in Mono County, home of Mammoth Mountain. The snow is wet and heavy, and more snow follows up to Monday 16 November.

• Winter storm watches cover the Sierra Nevada from Friday 13 November; the Tahoe watch ends on Saturday morning 14 November.
• Lake Tahoe: about 12 inches (30 cm) above 7,000 feet, up to 20 inches (51 cm) on the crest west of the lake.
• Mono County: 1 to 2 feet (30–61 cm) above 7,000 feet; ridge gusts of 60 to 80 mph (97–129 km/h).
• The northern Sierra watch runs to Monday 16 November, with a second round of snow from Saturday night.
• Mammoth Mountain and Mt. Rose are open; Heavenly and Northstar plan to open on Friday 20 November.

The NWS offices in Reno, Sacramento, Hanford and Las Vegas each issued a watch on Wednesday 11 November. A watch means heavy snow is possible; it can become a warning when the forecast firms up.

All figures are forecasts as issued on 11 November 2026. Check the NWS Reno office before you travel, because the numbers can change in both directions.

The Reno office forecasts heavy, wet snow. It expects a burst of heavy snow late on Friday afternoon and into Friday evening, with the snow level falling to as low as 5,500 feet (1,680 m) at Lake Tahoe. In its impact text it warns that "strong winds and Sierra cement snow could cause damage to trees and power lines".

The Tahoe Daily Tribune reports snowfall rates that could reach more than 2 inches (5 cm) per hour in the heaviest phase. It quotes OpenSnow forecaster Bryan Allegretto: "That means we could see heavy snow over Donner Pass with chain controls, low visibility, and slow travel."

Reno's television station KOLO expects rain in the valleys on Friday night and snow-tire and chain restrictions in the mountains. On Veterans Day, Wednesday 11 November, it still expected valley highs near 70 °F.

The storm is not a single event. The Sacramento office expects a lull on Saturday afternoon and evening, then more snow from Saturday night through Monday 16 November. Its snow level rises to 6,500–7,500 feet on Sunday morning and falls again to 5,500–6,500 feet on Monday.

myMotherLode reports that the northern Sierra watch also covers State Routes 4 and 108, with half a foot to two feet above 6,000 feet in total. The Tahoe Daily Tribune names a possible further system on Wednesday 18 November. KOLO also sees a third wave of rain and snow on that Wednesday.

Two resorts opened early after the storms of early November.

Mammoth's early start comes from KQED and the resort's own site; we covered it in our report of 4 November. Mt. Rose and Sugar Bowl state their dates on their home pages. The dates for Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood come from Vail Resorts' release of 18 August, which adds that "opening dates are subject to change based on weather and conditions". The Palisades Tahoe date is the target that ABC7 lists. The 2026-27 winter also starts under a strong El Niño, which we described in our outlook of 27 October.

The Reno office says the storm could hit the Friday evening commute. The NWS asks drivers on Sierra passes to carry a winter kit: a shovel, warm clothes, tire chains, blankets, water and snacks. A wind advisory for Reno, Carson City and Minden gives gusts of up to 55 mph (89 km/h) on Friday, and up to 65 mph (105 km/h) along US 395 and I-580.

The first runs after this storm are a mix: fresh, heavy snow on top, and a thin base with rocks below it on many slopes. Wet Sierra snow is dense, so a narrow carving ski sinks and gets deflected. A ski with a waist of about 94–96 mm and a metal layer stays calm in heavy snow and still grips on the groomed runs.

The figures are the makers' own. Early-season cover hides rocks, so an older pair is a sensible choice for the first days off the groomed runs. To compare more all-mountain skis by your level and the snow you ski, use the Pick-a-Ski ski finder.