Travelers heading through the Sierra Nevada midweek should prepare for snow as an incoming atmospheric river brings wet weather and winter driving conditions to the region.
Hector Crespo, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Reno, said the western slopes of the Sierra could start seeing snow on Tuesday. Four to 8 inches of snow is possible on Wednesday.
In Truckee, the totals are lower with about an inch expected.
Travel impacts over the Donner Pass on Interstate 80 are possible.
How much snow will atmospheric river bring to California, Nevada?
Snow is set to hit the Sierra midweek with more wet weather possible this weekend.
“We have an atmospheric river that’s setting up out west, so it’s bringing all this moisture to Northern California,” Crespo said.
An atmospheric river is a narrow band of concentrated water vapor in the atmosphere. These weather systems can transport vast amounts of moisture from the tropics to other regions, often resulting in heavy rain or snow.