Change In the Air

UPDATED: Wednesday, February 4, 2015: 5:00pm

Summary:

Change is in the air.  Since arriving at the UD clubhouse this morning, winds have picked up and begun clearing out the air.  This morning we couldn’t see Alcatraz from the clubhouse and now Marin is in full view.  A major storm system is en route for Northern California over the next few days.  Around the Bay, expect one more day of dry weather that will end abruptly on Thursday with heavy rain and high winds.  Tahoe will get wet as well and snow levels look to be high with this system, around 8000ft.  The good surf from earlier in the week is now getting jumbled about by the high onshore winds.  

Around Tahoe:

The wait for a system to come and drop some rain/snow has finally come to an end.  A large system is approaching NorCal and should begin to dropping snow around Tahoe early on Friday.  Unfortunately, this storm is already being described as a “Pineapple Express” event, and this typically means high snow levels and rain for lower elevations.  As of this morning, models showed little clarity as to where snow will begin falling, but I would not anticipate much snow below 8000ft.  If you’re headed up to the mountains for some turns, head to resorts with higher terrain like Squaw, Kirkwood, Heavenly and Mt. Rose.  

For more Tahoe snow details, check out the Tahoe Daily Snow and follow Tahoe Weather on Facebook.

Backcountry Conditions from the Sierra Avalanche Center:

LOW avy danger still dominates the backcountry, but expect this to change quickly as the coming storm begins to affect the area.  High winds and heavy, wet snow on the upper mountains will quickly load slopes.  Check the full report for observations and details.

Hike and Bike Conditions Around the Bay:

Expect winds to pick up around the Bay later tonight and tomorrow ahead of the storm.  Rain will begin on Thursday afternoon and evening from north to south.  Temperatures Thursday and Friday will warm into the low 60’s and cool into the low 50’s at night.  Unless you’re a fan of playing in the rain, the next few days might be a good time to hit the gym or actually stay in the office.  

Surf Around the Region:  

When we do get storms, it’s best to stay out of the water.  The arrival of onshore winds this afternoon has chopped up the surf around the region and it looks like now is a good time to rest up until the weather passes.  

Sunrise/Sunset and Tidal Information:

February 4,  2015

Sunrise: 7:11am/ Sunset: 5:36pm

High Tide: 12:23am at 5.2ft/ 11:23am at 5.9ft

Low Tide: 5:24am at 2.3ft/ 17:52 at 1.5ft

SB