The Morning Intel | Tahoe Sector Watch

Location: #HippieHaus | South Lake Tahoe, CA

Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2025

¡Buenos días, my friends

Cup'O'Joe in hand, #StokeLevelSolid at 12.7, a slight increase over yesterday's due to a solid meeting with the man, myth, and legend JD Hoss over at 101.5 on a fill-in host for the SKI CA Winter Weekend Show, and a NEW winter segment I have brew’n-up on KTVU2, Friday mornings with Pam Cook on the Mornings on 2 show (Starts this Friday!). It's the little things in life, truly...

Ah, for the Weather... well, my friends, it's that time when I start to chat on weather elsewhere, like Jackson Hole, Revelstoke, Copper, and the hardest? Wow, never thought I'd say go East, young man—but Jay Peak has 146" for a STD, and 23" in the past 48hrs? Yep, and really, and confirmed...

Regionally, we are in a tough but manageable spot. #MotherNature has a large, rock-solid High-Pressure ridge mounted off the West Coast line, preventing any measurable change in our forecasts. She's solid. We are hopeful of a pattern change projected for early next week, but there remains considerable uncertainty about the timing and intensity of this system. Current forecast shows the potential for precipitation north of I-80, especially for the mountains. The best chances are expected over the mountains to the north in Shasta County.

However, my friends, you have the passes—IKON, EPIC, PowderAlliance—go use'm! Take a trip on the wild side, drop in Arizona Snowbowl, or rally East. #JustDoIt and have patience...

“The practice of patience guards us against losing our presence of mind... It gives us a certain amount of inner peace, which allows us some self-control.”

~ The Dalai Lama

Today's Intel

• 🚠 Bullwheels Turning: KirkwoodMtn, Heavenly, Mt Rose, MammothMtn, Palisades (Limited), Boreal, Northstar, Revelstoke.

• 🌡️ Temperature Inversion: It is a "Tale of Two Elevations." 23º in the valley (Truckee/SLT) but a balmy 42.6º at 9,100' (Chair 6).

• ☀️ Condition: Sunny, Hazy (Valley Inversions), and Warm.

• 🚗 Roads: ALL CLEAR in the Sierra. Dense Fog Advisory in the Sacramento/Solano Valleys (Hwy 50 / I-80).

The RS Mindset: If you are staying local, the play AM Cord and Multi-sport days ahead. The Mtn Ops Teams are fighting the inversion to keep the surface carvable. Enjoy the sun, but if you need POW-now, check your pass benefits and look at the map. Go where the snow is.

Looking forward to the next 3–7 days:

• Potential Rain and Snow Outlook: Dry Pattern Dominates. The ridge is firm.

• Forecast Update / Changes:

• The Shift is Delayed: Yesterday, we hoped for a breakdown mid-month. Today's NWS update is less optimistic. The majority of ensemble data is now trending toward a longer delay before any change occurs.

• The Rebuild: Even if a weak trough passes early next week (Mon/Tue), signals point toward a rebuilding ridge through the middle of next week.

• Snow Levels: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

• Temperatures: Near Record Warmth. Highs will be 10-15º degrees above average (mid-50s to low-60s). South Lake Tahoe is within reach of breaking daily record highs today (Record: 58º) and Thursday.

• Winds / Wind Conditions: Light. Winds remain light and terrain-driven.

• Road Conditions: ALL CLEAR. Watch for brake checks on I-80 West.

The Weather Ahead | Temperatures | Winds | Winter

Forecasted Temperatures (Today's High / Tonight's Low):

• #HippieHaus (SLT / 6,380'): 61° / 37°

• Kirkwood (Base / 7,800'): 55° / 32°

• Truckee (North Shore / 5,800'): 58° / 25°

• Mammoth Mtn (Base / 8,900'): 48° / 30°

Timing of wind direction/wind speeds: Light/Variable winds today. No significant wind events expected.

Seven(7) Day forecast (Lake Level Highs/Lows):

• Today (Tue): 61° / 37° (Sunny, Record Warmth?)

• Wednesday: 61° / 39° (Sunny, Warm)

• Thursday: 59° / 35° (Sunny)

• Friday: 56° / 32° (Sunny)

• Saturday: 54° / 30° (Sunny)

• Sunday: 52° / 28° (Partly Cloudy)

• Monday: 50° / 26° (Cooling Trend)

Sierra Avalanche Centers:

Sierra Avalanche Center (Tahoe / Carson Pass):

• Status: #LowTide.

• Hazard: Shallow Obstacles.

• Discussion: Shallow snowpack. Avalanche concerns exist in isolated areas where hard, supportable slabs of wind-drifted snow exist on top of weak sugary snow.

• Link: https://bit.ly/SierraAvyForecast

Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center (Mammoth Zone):

• Status: #LowTide.

• Hazard: Shallow Obstacles.

• Discussion: Thin coverage. Northeast winds may have created isolated slabs.

• Link: https://bit.ly/EasternSierraAvalancheForecast

⚓ Marine Forecast for Lake Tahoe:

• Status: NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER.

• TODAY: Sunny. Light winds. Highs 55-61. Wave Heights < 1 foot.

• TONIGHT: Clear. Light winds. Lows 37-43. Wave Heights < 1 foot.

• WEDNESDAY: Sunny. Light winds. Highs 56-61.

• Water Temp: 49.1°F.

• Mariner Note: Glassy conditions. Highly recommend a 4/3 or 5/4 wetty if you are paddling/foiling due to cold water shock risk.

✈️ Aviation Forecast (Detailed for Pilots):

• Conditions: VFR prevails across all terminals.

• Haze: Valley inversions could produce minor reductions in slantwise visibility each morning.

• FZFG (Freezing Fog): 50-70% chance for patchy Freezing Fog at KTRK (Truckee) between 10Z-16Z.

• Winds: Light winds. No significant turbulence or LLWS expected.

Area Forecast Discussions (AFDs) Summaries

For #HippieHaus & Mammoth (NWS Reno):

• Near Record Heat: "Record highs at Reno and South Lake Tahoe airports are well within reach."

• Inversion: "Due to low-level inversions, expect valley haze each morning."

• Pattern Update: "Majority of the ensemble data is now trending toward a longer delay before this change occurs... signals are pointing toward a rebuilding ridge through at least the middle of next week."

For Carson Pass / KirkwoodMtn Zone (NWS Sacramento):

• Valley Focus: Dense Fog Advisory (Solano/Yolo/Sacramento).

• Mountain Focus: "Increasingly mild temperatures with sunny skies and dry weather are expected over higher terrain."

On this #TakeChargeTuesday, we play the hand we are dealt. We have sunshine, soft snow, and clear roads. It is a beautiful week to be in the Sierra, even if the first #ColdSmokeWednesday is on hold. Be patient, be kind on the Mtn, and if you need POW—go in search of and find it! We are watching the maps, but for now, we enjoy the sun. #TahoeZonkerTanAthon 

Stay'nThirsty for POW

Coop | RS#69

POWHUNT’n 24hr Snowfall Guidance West