NOAA has issued a Winter Storm Watch for California from the northern boarder of Yosemite in south to Mt. Lassen in the north for Saturday night & Sunday that’s calling for 6-18″ of snow above 6,000′.

This is California’s first Winter Storm Watch of the season!

There is also a Winter Weather Advisory issued for east of the Pacific Crest that is calling for 6-18″ of snow.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 6 TO 18 ABOVE 7000 FEET WITH UP TO 6 INCHES DOWN TO 6500 FEET. UP TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE AT LAKE TAHOE LEVEL. - NOAA Reno, NV today

NOAA’s Winter Storm Watch is calling fro 6-18″ of snow over Sierra highway passes along with several feet of snow on the highest peaks.

The Winter Storm Watch is also calling for 1-3 feet of snow on Mt. Lassen.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...6 TO 12 INCHES OVER SIERRA PASSES. SEVERAL FEET OVER HIGHEST PEAKS. 1 TO 3 FEET OVER LASSEN PARK. -NOAA Reno, NV today

Snow levels will drop as low as 6,000′ with this storm.

SNOW LEVEL WILL START OUT ABOVE 7000 FEET BUT FALL TO NEAR 6000 FEET OR LOCALLY LOWER SUNDAY AFTERNOON. - NOAA Reno, NV today

Mt. Rose ski resort is scheduled to open on Monday, October 31st, 2016 and Monday is looking like a powder day.

People have already been skiing the 10,761′ Mt. Rose backcountry and it’s been good.

This may be just what other Tahoe ski resorts need to open early this year.

Squaw is hoping to open on November 11th.

Mammoth is scheduled to open on November 10th.

WINTER STORM WATCH for CALIFORNIA:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 1225 PM PDT THU OCT 27 2016 ...SIERRA SNOW MAY CAUSE TRAVEL DELAYS LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING... WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK- WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHESTER...QUINCY...BLUE CANYON ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING ABOVE 6000 FEET... .A WET LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL DROP SOUTH OVER NORCAL FROM THE GULF OF ALASKA LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. SNOW LEVEL WILL START OUT ABOVE 7000 FEET BUT FALL TO NEAR 6000 FEET OR LOCALLY LOWER SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SACRAMENTO HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. * MAIN IMPACTS: SLICK ROADS DUE TO SNOW. UNPREPARED TRAVELERS MAY EXPERIENCE VERY LONG DELAYS. CHAIN RESTRICTIONS PROBABLE. * OTHER IMPACTS...WINDS GUSTING TO 50 MPH THROUGH THE PASSES COULD CAUSE POOR VISIBILITY AND DIFFICULTY DRIVING. * CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM * TIMING...LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING...HEAVIEST SUNDAY AFTERNOON. * LOCATIONS...SIERRA NEVADA PASSES AND LASSEN PARK ABOVE 6000 FEET. * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...6 TO 12 INCHES OVER SIERRA PASSES. SEVERAL FEET OVER HIGHEST PEAKS. 1 TO 3 FEET OVER LASSEN PARK.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY for CALIFORNIA:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV 250 PM PDT THU OCT 27 2016 CAZ072-NVZ002-281200- /O.NEW.KREV.WW.Y.0018.161030T1200Z-161031T0600Z/ GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA- 250 PM PDT THU OCT 27 2016 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TO 11 PM PDT SUNDAY ABOVE 6500 FEET... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RENO HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ABOVE 6500 FEET FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TO 11 PM PDT SUNDAY. * TIMING: ONGOING RAIN AND SNOW WILL BECOME MORE INTENSE EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...LASTING THROUGH THE DAY. * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 6 TO 18 ABOVE 7000 FEET WITH UP TO 6 INCHES DOWN TO 6500 FEET. UP TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE AT LAKE TAHOE LEVEL. * SNOW LEVELS: STARTING AROUND 7000 FEET...LOWERING TO 6000 TO 6500 FEET BY THE LATE MORNING. * IMPACTS: SNOW COVERED ROADS WITH CHAIN CONTROLS LIKELY ABOVE 6500 FEET IN THE EASTERN SIERRA AND TAHOE BASIN...INCLUDING INTERSTATE 80 OVER DONNER SUMMIT.