Two winters’ worth of snow has already fallen in the Sierra Nevada since Christmas, pulling California from the depths of extreme drought into one of its wettest winters in memory. But as a series of tropical storms slams the state, that bounty has become a flood risk as warm rains fall on...
Wildfire Destroys, Damages 20 Homes in Reno Neighborhood
RENO, Nev. — A fast-moving wildfire driven by strong winds destroyed or damaged about 20 homes in a Reno neighborhood and forced the evacuation of hundreds more on the edge of the Sierra Nevada foothills, authorities said Wednesday. It was one of several blazes burning near the Nevada-California border. Preliminary...
Sierra Nevada Reels as Flames and Smoke Drive Visitors Away
It was bad enough that 2020 announced itself with a global pandemic that cratered the world economy and kept many people confined to their homes. Then, just as vacationers were tentatively returning to California’s rural lakes, parks, trails and campgrounds, they turned their minivans and campers around, fleeing unpredictable wildfires...
Latest Survey of California Snow Pack Measures Below Normal
PHILLIPS STATION — The last seasonal survey of snow in the Sierra Nevada confirms that California had a dry winter that will leave much-needed runoff levels below normal, authorities said Thursday. The snow was only 1 ½ inches deep at the traditional manual measuring site at Phillips Station in the...
Late-Winter Systems to Bring Rain, Snow to Central California
A low-pressure system moving inland through Southern California on Thursday was expected to draw subtropical moisture northwestward, bringing showers and a chance of thunderstorms, the National Weather Service said. With heavy rain possible in some spots, flash flood watches were to go into effect at noon for a vast swath...
Late-Winter Systems to Bring Rain, Snow to Central California
A low-pressure system moving inland through Southern California on Thursday was expected to draw subtropical moisture northwestward, bringing showers and a chance of thunderstorms, the National Weather Service said. With heavy rain possible in some spots, flash flood watches were to go into effect at noon for a vast swath...
Dave McCoy, Who Gave Skiers Mammoth Mountain, Dies at 104
BISHOP — Dave McCoy, who transformed California's Mammoth Mountain from a remote Sierra peak into a downhill destination for skiers and snowboarders from around the world, has died at 104. Rusty Gregory, former chief executive of the resort, said McCoy “died peacefully in his sleep” at his home in the...
Potential Record 209 MPH Gust Hits Tahoe Peak
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — A gust of 209 mph was recorded atop a Lake Tahoe area peak Sunday, a potential record that wowed forecasters monitoring a cold storm moving south through the state. The blast of wind was captured around 7:45 a.m. by an instrument at 9,186 feet on Kirkwood...
Dry January Puts a Hurt on California Snowpack
PHILLIPS STATION — California's weather turned largely dry in January and left the water content of the Sierra Nevada snowpack below average for this time of year, state officials said after measurements Thursday. The retrograde movement of the winter precipitation outlook followed a stormy December that gave the mountain range...
Caltrans Closes 3 More Sierra Passes for Winter
Heavy snow has caused the California Department of Transportation to close several more passes through the Sierra Nevada for the winter. The closures implemented Monday are Sonora Pass on State Route 108, Monitor Pass on SR89, and Ebbetts Pass on SR4. Listen to this article: A winter closure for Tioga...