Unusual for the time of year, Lake Tahoe has received snowfall in August—the first time this has happened in 20 years.
The snowfall followed a forecast from the National Weather Service (NWS) last week that cold conditions were expected in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, located in Eastern California. Lake Tahoe itself sits on the border between California and Nevada.
In a post on X, NWS Hanford predicted "an unusually early, cold storm, even for the High Sierra above 8,000 feet."
"Although these are light amounts, motorists and hikers should be aware of this forecast," the service warned.
"We haven't seen snowfall in August since 2004, and even though it was a pretty light dusting, the economics are this: this weather phenomenon doesn't happen too often within our area, so even a little bit of snow we're super stoked about," Patrick Lacey, PR manager at Palisades Tahoe, told Newsweek.
Located about 100 miles south of Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain also saw significant snowfall, with hikers or campers in the area being advised to prepare for winter conditions, including slick roads.
"There was a pretty massive cold front that came through off the Pacific Ocean. Snow can fall at anytime of the year, so it just kind of depends on the weather," Lacey said. "But still, it's pretty atypical to see this big of a cold front come through in late August."
Filmmaker Scott Gaffney, who hiked up to witness the rare sight, described it as a "real treat" in an Instagram post.
"Early on it looked like a bust, but fortunately the real storm moved in as I neared the summit. I climbed up the secret ladder to the top of the Palisades where it was full-on winter, took a bunch of shots, looked at lines and then descended over to Siberia and walked back under the 'Sades to Headwall. Then it really started hammering. I didn't want to leave," Gaffney wrote.
The 2024/25 ski season around Lake Tahoe isn't due to officially start until November, a date unlikely to change following this early flurry.
"Since this is pretty early, it doesn't really impact the ski season, but it's nice to see some snow on the ground," Lacey said. "It's also a little reminder to start waxing up your skis and boards."
And although the snow was short-lived—it has all melted now, according to Lacey—locals are hoping the weekend's storm was a preview of a good ski season ahead.
"The season is definitely right around the corner," Lacey said.
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