It’s another exciting “calm before the storm” type day in Tahoe. There’s a couple of nice developments in the last 24 hours to share.
NOAA has released a Winter Storm Watch for this event. The WSW is another step along the path of saying “this one is the real deal.” A Winter Storm Warning will seal the deal and will likely be issued tomorrow. The WSW essentially matches all of the forecasts from yesterday: 2 feet above 8000 feet, 1 foot above 7000 feet, with the bulk of the snow falling Thursday.
Meanwhile, all of the models are coming in stronger this morning. Most of them push the storm a bit farther south than yesterday’s models. Most of them also are showing a small area focused around the crest that should receive upwards of 3 inches of moisture or close to 3 feet of snow depending on the snow ration. We expect the ratio to be low, which is just the sort of spackling we need to create a base that might last awhile.
Here’s the total precipitation through Friday on the latest GFS run.:
Here’s the updated briefing from the Reno NOAA office this afternoon:
And here’s a quote from the Reno NOAA Forecast Discussion updated at 2:20 today:
SHORT TERM... MAIN ISSUE CONTINUES TO BE THE SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. CHANGES INVOLVED INCREASING THE QPF AMOUNTS AND ALSO LOWERING SNOW LEVELS AS MODELS TREND A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTH AND COOLER.
Now that sounds quite a bit like the update I posted at 1:20 today!
We have a feeling that Doctor White’s office will be very busy Friday!
I already booked my appointment with Dr White for Friday, bring it on!
About damn time. Ullr, kysse meg i ræva. We all know you must be someone important in Valhalla, you should’ve gotten fired months ago.
Any input from the weather wise on the RRR being booted out of the area so winter can finally get its swerve on?
I’ve got tenure and a great Union, AlpineDreamr 🙂
Ullr, are you going to the community planning meet on the 29th to learn what those mortals are plotting? http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/opinion/9875548-113/community-policy-tahoe-county
http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/9948604-113/fire-tahoe-conditions-forest
I’m glad the 8 mile pipe will have fire hydrants on the highway. Just pray the fires use the road rather than fly up hillsides and slopes.
How many gallons of water does it take to make to a wet amenity?
Is this where the enema jokes start?
Riddle me this Riddler!
What will a town do about planning for late start seasons while employees say ‘there’s no job security’ while tourists say ‘there’s no snow and nothing to do, let’s spend our holiday dollars in Colorado?”.
Here are frightening figures in an op-ed today
“By Kathryn Reed from Lake Tahoe news
Unemployment, jobs and the economy were big topics in President Obama’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday night.
“Inequality has deepened. Upward mobility has stalled. The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by – let alone get ahead. And too many still aren’t working at all,” Obama said.
They are topics that also resonate in the Lake Tahoe Basin, especially this winter. With the dismal amount of snow, businesses are not hiring the number of people they usually do this time of year. Hours are being cut. It’s getting hard to pay bills.
The national unemployment numbers that came out this week are the lowest in five years at 6.7 percent. California’s unemployment rate is at 8.3 percent, whereas Nevada’s is 8.8 percent.
The good news is unemployment numbers for South Lake Tahoe and Douglas County ended lower than what they started at in 2013. The numbers are also lower than what they had been the previous few years during the height of the recession.
Even though retailers and ski resorts tend to ramp up hiring in December, it’s not unusual for the unemployment numbers to slip a little compared to November.
Here are the 2013 unemployment numbers for South Lake Tahoe:
January 10.2 percent
February 9.6 percent
March 9.4 percent
April 8.6 percent
May 8 percent
June 8.1 percent
July 8.5 percent
August 7.8 percent
September 7.4 percent
October 7.6 percent
November 7.6 percent
December not released.
These are the unemployment numbers for Douglas County in 2013:
January 11.8 percent
February 11.5 percent
March 11.3 percent
April 10.8 percent
May 10.2 percent
June 10.4 percent
July 9.6 percent
August 9.5 percent
September 9.4 percent
October 9.6 percent
November 9 percent
December 9.5 percent.
This all equates to an annual rate for Douglas County of 9.4 percent. Data is not collected in a manner to know the unemployment rate just at the lake portion of Douglas County.
What will be more telling about the local economy is what the numbers are like the first quarter of 2014 because of what the weather has done to hiring practices.
But what does not show up on unemployment charts is people with reduced hours, pay cuts or people who have stopped looking for a job.
People aren’t coming to Tahoe to play and spend money right now because it’s a one-dimensional economy. Tourism works when there is a product. Lake Tahoe is known for its winter snow fun and summer beach-hiking-biking fun.
If spastic, unpredictable weather is the new normal, then the status quo is no longer acceptable from our government leaders and more important our tourism officials. Why isn’t there a push to get people to Tahoe to enjoy what the locals are doing? Talk to hikers and cyclists – trails are pretty incredible. Learning to ski or snowboard is ideal now because roads are clear, skies are blue and those slopes are well covered in white stuff.
Having a chamber official tell a Sacramento television station that people can kayak and paddleboard is dangerous when morning temps are well below freezing. It’s one thing for locals to tackle Tahoe this time of year; it’s another for those unfamiliar with this unforgiving body of water.
Then having her say come to Tahoe to shop because ski gear is cheap isn’t really touting what Tahoe has to offer.
Where was the promotion for the restaurant week that happened earlier this month?
The South Shore needs to be showing people what the area is about, not using gimmicky make-believe characters telling people to come to the wild side.
It has long been proved that events bring people to town. But on the Lake Tahoe Visitor Authority’s website there are no events listed for January or February, and one for March on the “2013 Tahoe South Travel Planner”. Note the year our tourism people are telling visitors about.
What about a big Super Bowl party? It doesn’t matter that there isn’t a California team in the game.
Why not have a mini Olympics or make up sports that locals and tourists could compete in? Why aren’t we embracing our athletes who will be going after gold next month?
Another thing Obama said Tuesday night was, “In today’s global economy, first-class jobs gravitate to first-class infrastructure.”
Are you listening Lake Tahoe?
So Ullr has tenure and a union eh? That isn’t surprising news. What I meant to say was not that, “you must be someone important…” but that “you must be screwing someone important…”
Ullr, I love you, I really do, but why hast thou forsaken us? You don’t call, you don’t write. Should we prepare for the celestial version of, “It’s not you, it’s me, I think I need some time apart.”
Now you show up with a weather equivalent of a wet willie. Lots of playful promise, but very annoying in the interim. Please drop the temps sooner than later.
I can change, I can make you happy. Just tell me what you need, I can be that guy. Wait, that just got more than a little creepy.
You’re forgiven. Just for you (and to annoy Andy’s zoomer grooming guests 🙂 I’ll lift the Kursed Ski Lifts 🙂
I guess it’s time to fix the core shots, make soup, and lay down fresh tracks! If we see 3 feet…I’ll buy Mark a beer and a shot!
fyi there’s …
Meeting Schedule
Regular meetings of the Squaw Valley Mutual Water Company board of directors are generally held every other month. The next scheduled meeting will be Saturday, February 1, 2014 at 3pm. The meeting will include an update and discussion on the Water System Improvement Project focusing on updating the SCADA system, discussion of the O&M Manual, and the search for a new Operator.
Meetings are held in the community meeting room at the Squaw Valley Public Service District building 305 Squaw Valley Road. Members are welcome and encouraged to attend all meetings.
Any journos going?
Local lodging managers stayed home rather than partake in the comp pass ‘appreciation’ day. But after 2 hours in drizzle and then rain on firm, not wet or slushy snow, we packed up to dry out. Nevertheless it was nice of Squalpine to say thanks to those whose lodgers receive discounted day tickets.
Your readers should understand that KSL/SV help other lodgings’ guests on the nth shore to ski cheaper.
Straw poll at the bar thinks
– there is enough water but this season is the new normal, drought will get worse, and the watergods are up to somthing;
– incorportion has a 50% chance of success;
– there”s not enough talent to recruit admin and managers to suport Van Nort
– KSL will sell up in 5 years without turning any dirt over.
– Sierra Watch and big green bucks will prevail in the end.
– KSL/SV burnt too many bridges
Moonshine Ink says “JMA has settled the lawsuit that was brought against the Homewood Mountain Resort development by Earth Justice on behalf of Friends of the West Shore and the Tahoe Area Sierra Club. JMA now plans to break ground on resort redevelopment in 2015. Are you looking forward to seeing Homewood redeveloped?”
I thought the plan, ie with the reroute road thru USFS land, was for something bigger than an 8 mile pipe which the eco litigants in the Martis Case didn’t ban as part of their settled court case.
http://t.co/dhloHIMsgJ
Sure KSL will have Parapet Storage of snowmelt and rain in the roof, and sure KSL’s water figures differ massively from the Water Board’s, but will that be enough when you look at property development at Homewood, TC, Spindleshanks, 230 building approvals in Olly Valley, etc etc? And what hope do these eco groups have if Homewood can get appoved for $500m of development less only 13 homes.