Looks like they're getting their first real storm. Reports saying it's just getting started within the past hour.

They're forecasting 3 feet by Thursday. Who's going with me?? 100 mph gusts aren't that bad, are they?

http://tahoeweatherdiscussion.com/

Ha HaHa HaHaHa

One day when I'm good and tipsy I'll be ready to tell the story of driving on Mt. Rose access road the day the 2008 Blizzard rolled in.

The story involves a SUV, chains, vertical signs with about 2-3" of snow plastered on them, and getting picked up by the wind and thrown into the guardrail. Next to a nice deep canyon.

1 foot so far. 1-2 more by tomorrow evening.

Sounds like a Donner Party storm, also in late Oct., but 1846. It can snow prodigiously in the Sierra.

Before retirement I attended the fall AGU (American Geophysical Union) meeting in san francisco every year in the first week of Dec. if there was any chance of snow I'd bring my skis. Either way I'd visit my sister in the east bay after the meeting. Once, about 25 years ago, the evening weather report predicted a massive "pineapple express" rainstorm the next day. They kept delaying it day by day. It finally started to rain on Fri just after the meeting ended. I drove to my sister's, stayed the night and headed to Tahoe in the morning in gale driven sheets of rain. I turned in my gov't paid rental car and got a 4 WD SUV on my own dime. SUV rentals were new at the time and pricey. I drove E on I-80 passing the 1000 ft. Elevation signs that CA uses. It rained harder and harder as I Passed 3000, 4000, 5000 ft. Markers and rain turned to blinding snow. I went to Sugar Bowl, a favorite of mine, that has the added advantage of being on the west side of Donner summit so you have an easier time getting back to SF in snow. There was almost nobody there. A sign at the ticket window said "snowing 4 - 5" per hr., 20 deg., 80.mph wind up top, lower lifts only, lift tickets and all services 1/2 price today." I bought a lift ticket and a private 1.5 hr lesson since it was my first trip there and visibility was about 50 feet. What I wanted was a private guide and she was very good. I just needed to keep her neon pink jacket in my field of view. She showed me the best wind sheltered powder stashes on the Mtn. It was one of the best powder days of my life. (Never pick a best; the great ones are all equal.) I stayed 4 days, the last one with my sister at Royal Gorge XC. It cost me about $500 for the SUV and worth every penny. bTW it was before shaped skis or fat skis and I was on 210 cm GS Comp skis. I never raced on them but they made very nice powder skis. It's the surface area that matters and you can get it with length or width.

Will be there early Jan, bring on the early season white stuff!