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Greater Lake Tahoe Area County, California
Tornadoes, hail, floods and severe storms recorded here between 1996 and 2026, from NOAA's Storm Events Database. Search an address to see which tornadoes came closest to it.
0
Tornado reports
0
Hail reports
1
Floods since 1996
802
All events
26
Deaths
$503.2M
Property damage
Year by year
All storm eventsTornadoes
NOAA's storm database records tornadoes back to 1950 and hail and thunderstorm wind back to 1955, but floods only from 1996 on. Older floods are missing here. For those, the U.S. Geological Survey's stream gauge records and flood reports are the place to look.
Most significant events
The strongest tornadoes, deadliest events and biggest damage here, up to 50.
Nevada Co Sheriff responded to a report of avalanche just north of Frog Lake near Castle Peak during the afternoon on the 17th. The avalanche caught a buried 15 backcountry skiers, resulting in 9 fatalities.
A group of snowmobilers triggered an avalanche near Johnson Peak and Castle Peak north of Truckee. One snowmobiler was fully buried and killed.
A large avalanche occurred between the Scott Chute and the Promised Land at Alpine Meadows Resort. 2 individuals were involved with one fatal injury with the other skier having severe lower-body injuries. A strong winter storm had hit in the previous 12-24 hours with 25 inches at…
Interstate 80 closed from Colfax, CA, to the Nevada State line due to high winds, heavy snowfall, and whiteout conditions. The closure of Interstate 80 lasted from the early afternoon of 1 March through the late morning of 2 March. Chain and snow tires were required on several ro…
Snowfall totals between the 9th and 12th were quite significant. Between the 9th and 12th, 6 to 10 feet of snow fell at ski areas near the Sierra crest, with 3 to 3.5 feet in the Tahoe City and Truckee areas, and 2 to 3 feet in the South Lake Tahoe area. During the evening of the…
A quote from the Sierra Avalanche Center: Two skiers hiked into closed uncontrolled terrain at Mt. Rose. The first skier triggered a large avalanche that swept him 600-1000 ft downslope and buried him in debris that averaged 5 ft deep and reached up to 10 ft. deep in some areas. …
Rough water due to gusty winds between 20 and 35 mph caused a paddleboarder to fall from his board into Lake Tahoe while seeking help for his companions who had also fallen from their boards. After the others were rescued by a marina crew, the rescue crew looked for the victim bu…
A ski instructor exited into the backcountry from the Sugar Bowl ski area on the afternoon of the 14th. When he failed to return home that night, he was reported missing (on the 15th). Tracking and location information from his phone placed him on the backside of Mount Judah in a…
Winds gusted to 60 and 70 mph at the Truckee and South Lake Tahoe airports, respectively, on the morning of the 11th. Over the Sierra ridges, winds gusted as high as 135 mph. Numerous trees and power lines were downed, along with damage to several homes and vehicles due to fallen…
Avalanche control activities (explosives) at the Alpine Meadows Ski resort resulted in the death of an experienced ski patroller. The avalanche broke much wider and higher than expected based on past experience. The man was found and uncovered within 8 minutes of the avalanche. H…
A Sierra Avalanche Center report indicated that three skiers were skiing in the backcountry near Alpine Meadows when one of the skiers triggered an avalanche about 300 ft wide by 500 feet long and one foot deep. The skier was buried under 3 feet of snow. The other two skiers foun…
A ski patrolman was partially buried in an avalanche at Squaw Valley Ski Resort while he was working avalanche controls. He was dug out of the avalanche by another member of the ski patrol. He was transferred to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno but later died from his injur…
The Sacramento Bee newspaper reported that a 21-year-old skier died in an avalanche in the Sierra on Christmas morning. The newspaper reported that the skier's body was found buried following an avalanche in the Red Dog area at Squaw Valley Ski Resort. The victim was a resident o…
According to the Tahoe Daily Tribune, a couple from San Mateo, California were killed when their automobile slid across the centerline of Highway 89 near Sugar Pine State Park (on the west shore of Lake Tahoe) at around 11:20 am PDT on Friday, October 10th. The driver of the othe…
The Sacramento Bee newspaper reported that a 62-year-old woman died of exposure while hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail near Tinker's Knob west of Squaw Valley. She was separated from her fellow hikers during a snowstorm. She was later rescued but died on the way to the hospital.
The human-caused Angora wildfire started on June 24th and continued to burn through the end of June. Strong winds gusting to 40 mph caused the wildfire to spread across 3,100 acres south of Lake Tahoe. A total of 254 houses and over 60 commercial structures were destroyed.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Palisades mid-mountain reported 11 inches of snow with 6 inches at Alpine Ski Base. Lastly, CO-OP observer TAHC1 Tahoe City measured 2.5 inches of snow.
Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
The Central Sierra Snow Lab measured 21.1 inches of snow in 24 hours and a storm total of 42.6 inches. Also, Palisades Tahoe Ski Base reported 22 inches and a two day total of 43 inches.
High Wind High Wind
Mesonet station at Alpine Meadows Summit measured a wind gusts of 137 mph. Also, mesonet station TADC1 Tahoe Donner measured a wind gust of 80 mph. Lastly, mesonet station HMDC1 at Homewood Mountain Ski Resort measured a gust of 60 mph.
Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
Palisades Tahoe Ski Base reported 15 inches of snow in the past 24 hours with a storm total of 27 inches. Also, the Central Sierra Snow Lab measured 5.1 inches of snow in 24 hours with a storm total of 13 inches. Finally, Northstar Ski Base recorded 8 inches of new snow with a 2 …
High Wind High Wind
Mesonet station LIB25 Muller1296-Emigrant Trail recorded a wind gust of 67 mph. Mesonet station LIB03 Woodfords recorded a gust to 66 mph. Finally, ASOS station KTVL South Lake Tahoe Airport recorded a gust of 58 mph.
Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
The Central Sierra Snow Lab measured 18.5 inches of snow on the 18th, with a two day total of 44.1 inches from the 18th to 19th. Heavenly Ski Resort measured 8 inches of snow on the 19th. Northstar Ski Resort measured 12 inches of snow on the 19th. Finally, CO-OP station Tahoe Ci…
Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
The Central Sierra Snow Lab measured 29 inches of snow in the 24 hours ending 2/18 with a storm total of 67 inches. CO-OP observer at Tahoe City measured a storm total of 37.5 inches with a SWE of 3.38 inches. Truckee Airport measured at storm total of 32 inches.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Storm snow totals for this event include the following: The CO-OP observer Central Sierra Snow Lab measured 5.1 inches, CoCoRaHs station CA-NV-51 Truckee 1.6 N measured 3.3 inches, and CO-OP Observer station TAHC1 Tahoe City measured 2 inches. Finally, Northstar Ski Base measured…
Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
The Central Sierra Snow Lab measured 40.4 inches of snowfall and CO-OP observer at Tahoe City measured 11.5 inches of snow. This was from the 3rd to the 5th. In addition, Northstar Ski Base reported 29 inches, Palisades Tahoe Ski Base reported 17 inches, and CoCoRaHs station CA-N…
Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
Storm total snowfall of 68 inches was reported by Northstar Ski Area, 48.4 inches was reported by the Central Sierra Snow Lab, 46 inches was reported by Heavenly Tahoe and Tahoe Donner, 36 inches was reported by Palisades Lodge, 23 inches at Tahoma and Truckee Airport, 19.5 inche…
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Northstar Ski Base recorded 7 inches of snowfall in the 24 hour period ending on the 22nd. Also, Palisades Tahoe Ski Base recorded 7 inches of snowfall in the 24 hour period ending on the 22nd.
High Wind High Wind
Mesonet station LIB25 Muller1296-Emigrant Trail recorded a wind gust of 62 mph. Also, mesonet station LIB11 Meyers 3400-Uplands recoded a gusts of 58 mph.
High Wind High Wind
Mesonet station HMDC1 1 W Homewood Mountain recorded a wind gust of 58 mph.
High Wind High Wind
Mesonet station TADC1 Tahoe Donner recorded a wind gust of 58 mph. Also, mesonet station HMDC1 Homewood Mountain recorded a gust of 49 mph.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
CoCoRaHs station CA-NV-51 1.6 N of Truckee recorded 3.4 inches of snow. Heavenly Ski Resort reported 8 inches of snowfall. These are 24 hour totals ending the 21st.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
CO-OP observer 6 W Truckee recorded 1.6 inches of snow from the 17th to 18th, with a two day total of 8.4 inches.
High Wind High Wind
The mesonet station at Northstar Ski Summit (DDNSW) recorded a wind gust of 60 mph. In addition, the mesonet station at Meyers3400-Upland (LIB11) recorded a wind gust to 58 mph.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
The Central Sierra Snow Lab recorded 0.4 inches of new snowfall in the last 24 hours with a liquid equivalent of 0.40 inches.
High Wind High Wind
Peak wind gusts of 75 mph (Rice Canyon RAWS), 53 mph (Homewood RAWS), 54 mph (Tahoe Donner RAWS), and 60 mph (KTVL) were recorded.
High Wind High Wind
ASOS station KTVL South Lake Tahoe Airport recorded a gust of 58 mph. Mesonet station at Homewood Ski Resort recorded a wind gust of 59 mph. LIB25 Muller1296 - Emigrant Trail recorded a wind gust of 59 mph.
Strong Wind Strong Wind
Mesonet station Emigrant Trail in Alpine County (LIB25) recorded a wind gust of 56 mph. Mesonet station Tahoe Donner in Nevada County (TADC1) recorded a gust of 46 mph.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
CoCoRaHs observers in the Tahoe Basin measured 3 inches of snow at CA-NV-51 and 0.5 inches at CA-ED-9 ending at 7:00 AM on the 15th.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
CO-OP observers recorded 0.5 inches at Tahoma (TAAC1) and 0.5 inches at Boca Reservoir (BOCC1) ending at 7:00 AM on the 15th.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Palisades Tahoe reported 1-2 of snowfall the afternoon of June 21. There was also snow reported on Mt Rose.
High Wind High Wind
Peak wind gusts of 57 mph and 56 mph were reported at Mesonet station NV009, West Verdi, and ASOS station KTVL, respectively.
High Wind High Wind
Heavenly mid-station gondola weather station, KTVL (South Lake Tahoe Airport), KTRK (Truckee-Tahoe Airport), and LIB25 Muller 1296-Emigrant Trail, reported peak wind gusts of 71 kts, 64 kts, 53 kts, and 64 kts, respectively.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
A CO-OP observer in Tahoma, TAAC1, and a CO-OP observer at Boca Reservoir, BOCC1, and a CO-OP observer in Tahoe City, TAHC1, reported a 2-day storm total of 2.6, 6.5, and 4.5 inches of snow, respectively. The Central Sierra Snow Lab reported a 2-day storm total of 8.8 inches with…
Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
Heavenly Ski Area reported a storm total of 19 inches for the April portion of the storm. This was a continuation of a storm which began 3/31 and the 3-day total was 25 inches. Palisades ski area reported 14 inches for the same time frame with a 3-day total of 44 inches for the u…
High Wind High Wind
Mesonet station HVRGM Mid Station Gondola Weather Station measured a peak wind gust of 91 mph with a peak gust of 63 mph at Mesonet station SCTAM 0.8 SW Alpine Meadows (TAHOE).
Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
Palisades Tahoe Ski area reported 15 inches of new snow at the upper mountain in the past 24 hours. Heavenly ski base reported 12 inches of new snow, with 13 inches at Tahoe Donner Ski Area.
High Wind High Wind
Mesonet station TADC1 Tahoe Donner, Mesonet station SCTAM 0.8 SW Alpine Meadows (TAHOE), and Mesonet station HVRGM Mid Station Gondola Weather Station reported peak wind gusts of 74 mph, 67 mph, and 59 mph, respectively.
High Wind High Wind
The South Lake Tahoe Airport ASOS, KTVL, reported a peak wind gust of 59 mph, with a peak gust of 56 mph at the Truckee Airport AWOS, KTRK. Mountain top mesowest site at Palisades Tahoe Summit reported a wind gust of 109 mph.
Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
Northstar Ski Area Base and and Tahoe Donner Ski Area reported snow totals of 12 and 13 inches of snow, respectively.
Events by year, as a table
| Year | Events | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 11 | 0 |
| 2025 | 41 | 0 |
| 2024 | 68 | 0 |
| 2023 | 67 | 0 |
| 2022 | 50 | 0 |
| 2021 | 31 | 0 |
| 2020 | 50 | 0 |
| 2019 | 55 | 0 |
| 2018 | 57 | 0 |
| 2017 | 19 | 0 |
| 2016 | 9 | 0 |
| 2015 | 7 | 0 |
| 2014 | 5 | 0 |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 |
| 2012 | 15 | 0 |
| 2011 | 11 | 0 |
| 2010 | 15 | 0 |
| 2009 | 15 | 0 |
| 2008 | 26 | 0 |
| 2007 | 74 | 0 |
| 2006 | 45 | 0 |
| 2005 | 8 | 0 |
| 2004 | 11 | 0 |
| 2003 | 10 | 0 |
| 2002 | 23 | 0 |
| 2001 | 10 | 0 |
| 2000 | 29 | 0 |
| 1999 | 2 | 0 |
| 1998 | 6 | 0 |
| 1997 | 19 | 0 |
| 1996 | 10 | 0 |
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See every tornado that passed within 25 miles of a place in Greater Lake Tahoe Area County, measured to its path.
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