Here’s how much snow hit Sierra in 24 hours during first of back-to-back California storms

Michael McGough
·2 min read
47

California’s first winter storm of December didn’t disappoint, dumping more than a foot of snow Thursday throughout most of the central Sierra Nevada.

Heavy, low-falling snow caused major delays on mountain highways throughout the day, even as weather forecasters and Caltrans strongly discouraged travel.

It snowed hard enough to cancel school for Lake Tahoe Unified, Tahoe-Truckee Unified and Pollock Pines Elementary school districts on Thursday. Lake Tahoe Unified and Tahoe-Truckee Unified reopened Friday, while the Pollock Pines district stayed closed.

National Weather Service forecasts predict a brief break in snowfall Friday, before a second powerful storm blankets the mountains with more snow this weekend.

Here’s how much snow fell between Thursday and Friday morning, according to the weather service. Totals shown are for the 24 hours ending 4 a.m. Friday.

Central Sierra/Lake Tahoe area snow totals

Forestdale Creek: 20 inches

Burnside Lake: 18 inches

Forni Ridge: 17 inches

Hagans Meadow: 16 inches

Echo Peak: 15 inches

Ebbetts Pass: 15 inches

Heavenly Valley: 14 inches

Truckee: 14 inches

Carson Pass: 13 inches

Palisades Tahoe: 9 inches

Southern Sierra snow totals

Paradise Meadow: 22 inches

Dana Meadows: 22 inches

South Lake: 21 inches

Chilkoot Meadow: 19 inches

Graveyard Meadow: 18 inches

Gem Pass: 16 inches

Panther Meadow: 15 inches

Northern Sierra/Lassen snow totals

Fredonyer Peak: 4 inches

Adin Mountain: 2 inches

Cedar Pass: 1 inch