SACRAMENTO, Calif — If you're headed up to Tahoe this weekend to escape the valley heat, we've got the weather covered for you.
Tahoe is a major travel destination in Northern California with numerous state parks that line the 72 miles of Alpine shoreline. Visitors can hike, swim, camp, bike and do much more under the warmth of the summer sun.
Visitors can also experience the nightlife and casinos of South Lake Tahoe, hit the links at any of the world famous golf courses or take a drive around Lake Tahoe and enjoy the scenery.
Here's what you need to know for the weekend.
RELATED: Sacramento Weather Forecast
Tahoe Weather
The persistent pattern that has brought abundant monsoonal moisture to our region for the past week will stick around through Friday.
Friday morning might experience showers through the Sierra on Highway 50 and Interstate 80 starting as early as 3 a.m. and lasting as late as 3 p.m. The brunt of showers is closer to 6 a.m. to noon. Thunderstorms aren't necessarily expected with the early morning rain but could become more unstable in the afternoon causing thunderstorm chances.
Highs on Friday will be moderated by overcast skies and rain. Highs are expected to reach into the mid to upper 70s. Storms are expected in the area, and rainfall could be very heavy due to very high precipitable water levels thanks to the high pressure system flinging moisture northward.
Thunderstorm chances look strongest in the afternoon, set at about 50% currently for Friday afternoon. When thunder roars, go indoors.
Friday should be the only day this weekend to experience storm activity. The high pressure system supplying the moisture will be pushed east and moisture levels will decrease along with thunderstorm chances.
Bright, sunny skies will accompany warmer temperatures Saturday and Sunday.
High temperatures will be in the low 80s on Saturday with light winds before warming up the mid-80s on Sunday.
Traffic concerns
To make the journey up the hill smoother, it's wise to plan your departure times as a hot summer weekend like this one can result in dense traffic. For a live look at traffic conditions, view the Waze map below.
