Calendar confusion may be in store for Northern California, as weather services and social media reported June snow around the Lake Tahoe region over the past few days.
Accuweather recored “light snow” around South Lake Tahoe Monday morning, while the Tahoe Lake Tribune says that “winter-like conditions” seized the region over the weekend.
“Who is ready for more snow and frigid temperatures? Well, us neither, but we don’t control the weather, we just forecast it,” the paper added on Twitter.
The San Jose Mercury News reports that drivers around the Truckee area were stuck breaking out the winter tire chains, even as the first official day of summer approaches.
And the National Weather Service in Reno tweeted a slightly eerie image of snow blanketing a Lake Tahoe beach, assuring followers, “Yes, this is real.”
#snow in #Juneary for the Sierra! Yes, this is real. Measurable snow at #laketahoe in June happens about every 5-10 years. #summerwillreturn pic.twitter.com/0p89PUfSoc
— NWS Reno (@NWSReno) June 12, 2017
NWS says that “measurable snow at Lake Tahoe in June happens about every 5-10 years.” So, rarely enough to be considered unusual, but not quite so strange a sight as to suggest that the end is nigh.
Even before the June flurries, California’s stormy winter and spring left the mountains so smothered with snow that, according to the LA Times, ski resorts they hope to stay open through the summer for a “550 day season.”
“The Central Sierra Nevada snow accumulation was larger than the previous four years combined, according to NASA data,” the paper added.
Southern California was also blanketed with snow over the weekend.
Meanwhile, the San Francisco forecast calls for sunny days and temperatures in the 60s most of this week. So probably nothing to call NASA over.
- South Lake Tahoe Snow [Accuweather]
- Snow lands on Mammoth Mountain in rare June storm [Curbed LA]
- Winter-Like Conditions Return [Tahoe Tribune]
- Snow Chains Required Near Truckee [SJ Mercury]
- Endless Winter? [LA Times]