Tahoe Might Get Snow This Weekend. Here’s How You Should Prepare

A storm is rolling into Lake Tahoe this weekend — just in time to disrupt weekend plans for boaters and backcountry travelers, and a timely reminder of last year’s sudden June snowstorm that claimed multiple lives on the water.

A lake wind advisory is in effect from Friday at 11 a.m. to Saturday at 2 a.m., but windy conditions are expected to persist around the lake throughout the day on Saturday, National Weather Service meteorologist Gigi Giralte said.

That could bring southwest winds of 15 to 25 mph on the lake, with gusts up to 40 mph and waves up to three feet tall on Friday.

“With those stronger winds, it is much easier for small boats and kayaks and other small crafts like that to be prone to capsizing,” Giralte said.

Last year, eight people died on Lake Tahoe in a boat accident during a rare June storm — three of them from the Bay Area.

The powerful storm flipped their boat near the southern reaches of the lake, in a sudden weather shift that took aback beachgoers on the shore, who were expecting a warm summer day out on the lake. The storm also dusted nearby mountaintops with fresh snow, taking hikers and backpackers by surprise.

@cnnA sudden storm rolled in over Lake Tahoe causing extreme conditions while people were enjoying a sunny summer day.♬ original sound – CNN

That 2025 storm, called a microburst, brought wind gusts up to 35 mph and created waves up to 10 feet high witnessed at the lake. And while that was a different type of storm than is coming this weekend, Giralte said, both weather events are unusual for June.

Data from monitoring stations in Tahoe City since 1910 compiled by Jan Null, certified consulting meteorologist for Golden Gate Weather Services, shows snow in Tahoe in June is uncommon. Nonetheless, it does happen about once every five years.

Ridgetop winds in the Tahoe region are also expected to be high this weekend, with gusts of 70 to 80 mph predicted on Friday night, Giralte said.

North of I-80, outside of the Tahoe basin, there’s a 20% to 40% chance of precipitation on Saturday night into Sunday morning as temperatures are expected to drop into the 20s and snow levels could reach as low as 7500 feet — “and those chances could extend into the Tahoe basin, depending if this low-pressure system wobbles,” she said.

That “could come as a shock for people that might be recreating or camping or starting out on an early morning hike,” Giralte said. “This is definitely more reminiscent of springtime weather. This is a little abnormal to see in late June.”

Last year, Oakland resident Matt Savener was out on a camping trip in Desolation Wilderness and called off his attempt to summit Dick’s Peak when the microburst storm rolled in.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Savener told KQED at the time. “And just with no warning whatsoever.”

If you’re set to visit the mountains this weekend, or have a summer Tahoe trip planned, here’s what you need to know to stay prepared for any weather event — especially if you never considered these types of storms could happen to you at this time of year.

Jump straight to:

• Always check the forecast first
• What to know if you’re out hiking during a microburst
• If you’re driving over a mountain pass, here’s what to know
• How to prepare if you’re heading out on the water this summer

Always check the forecast, but prepare for the worst

Unlike last year, weekend travelers should have plenty of time to prepare for the coming cold and windy weather, Giralte said. She advises checking the forecast carefully before you head out — and if you’re planning a water-based adventure, visit the lake forecasts page for wind and wave information as well.

Last year, Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Hunter Schnabel said the weather conditions around Lake Tahoe deteriorated so rapidly and unexpectedly over the course of the day that “even if you were paying attention to the forecast, you probably would not have seen this coming,” he said. So, preparing for any worst-case weather is key, Schnabel said.

“No matter what, when you’re headed out in the water, ensure you have all your safety equipment with you, you check the weather and have emergency plans,” he said. “Try to prepare for what you can with these incidents.”

If you’re out hiking, bring rain gear just in case

The U.S. Forest Service’s safety advice for Lake Tahoe visitors is clear: Every hiker, whether you’re out for a couple of hours or a couple of days, should keep in mind that weather conditions can change rapidly.

“Bring plenty of layers,” Giralte said.

The site also advises travelers to carry a basic first aid kit, to try to save any dangerous travel for daylight hours and to check the weather before you go. Last June, Savener, who was using Lower Velma Lake as his group’s camping spot for three nights in Desolation Wilderness, said he checked the forecast before heading out and knew there would be some cold weather coming in. “So we packed accordingly,” he said.

Even so, he was the only hiker of his group to actually bring a rain layer. All his other friends only had puffy jackets, which soak through easily.

And when Savener used his InReach satellite messaging device to get the weather forecast the morning of the storm, it showed 0% chance of precipitation, “so we weren’t worried about precipitation at all,” he said.

So with sunny skies overhead, he and his group headed out to summit Dick’s Peak. By the time they got up to the pass, where you can see sweeping views of Lake Tahoe, he saw the storm gathering and the rain beginning from afar.

Knowing how technical and exposed the terrain would be at the top, since summiting this peak requires some amount of rock scrambling, Savener decided to turn around just around 200 feet short of the top.

“The snow started shortly after we left Dick’s Pass and started to descend,” Savener said. “It snowed on us for a solid hour while we were hiking, and it collected quite a bit. There was probably about an inch of snow on the ground and on us.”

By the time they got back to camp, the weather had passed and the group “just enjoyed our luck, basically,” he said.

“If [the storm] had moved in any faster … that could have been super dangerous. That’s ‘fall and die’ kind of territory,” Savener said.

“The wilderness is humbling, and I learn something every time I go out there.”

If you’re driving, go slow and stay aware

If it does snow this weekend, it’s not likely to accumulate, Giralte said. But visibility could still be affected where any rain or snow hits.

Last year’s June snowstorm even caught drivers off guard, as the California Highway Patrol reported multiple collisions over Donner Summit during the storm. 

If you usually avoid Tahoe in the winter or aren’t comfortable driving in snow, the California Highway Patrol publishes a helpful guide for navigating snow country in your car. KQED also has a guide to navigating winter driving.

Some key things to keep in mind:

• Move slowly, as the wetter the roads, the less safe you are at high speeds
• Keep your gas tank full in case you have to change routes or have to turn around
• Bring extra food, water and clothing in case of an emergency.

If bad weather rolls in, you can always check road conditions on the CHP website, the Caltrans QuickMap app or by calling the Caltrans hotline at 1-800-427-ROAD.

If you’re in a boat, wear a life jacket …

While last year’s storm was unexpected, Schnabel said it’s important to stay prepared for any weather event when visiting Tahoe. That includes having and using life jackets, no matter what size boat you are on.

“No matter what, when you’re headed out in the water, ensure you have all your safety equipment with you, you check the weather and have emergency plans,” Schnabel said.

You can also check water conditions ahead of time. The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center has 10 nearshore monitoring stations and four buoy-based stations that provide real-time information about conditions at the lake, plus a three-day forecast, which Cara Hollis, the communications and marketing specialist at TERC, said can help you prepare for any trip on the water.

“We can help you plan your trips based on water temperature, water currents, and wave heights,” Hollis said.

… And watch for winds on the water

In the case of last year, the day went from calm to not-so-calm very quickly, which can happen as a storm builds in the basin, Hollis said.

“Winds do typically come in from the west, but that’s going to be extremely variable as winds swirl and then, of course, as storm directions change,” Hollis said. TERC’s wave height monitors only measure up to 5 feet, so they didn’t capture the full extent of the conditions last year, Hollis said. But data from their monitors at some locations does show the sharp decrease in water temperatures that the NWS reported.

“Typically, what happens when it’s very windy is you’ll get mixing, which will bring colder water up from deeper depths,” Hollis said. “That’s when you get those big temperature drops.”

Michael Cane, field lab director for TERC, said being able to recognize the signs of a storm coming in — and being ready to make decisions to keep yourself safe — is key.

“I’ll pay attention to large clouds falling over the mountains, which could signify thundershowers — or look in the distance to see if there’s whitecaps coming towards me,” Cane said.

“Don’t wait until [things] get so bad to where it’s actually a dangerous situation,” he said.

This story contains reporting by KQED’s Katie DeBenedetti.