LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Ski resorts will be happy to hear that the bomb cyclone hitting northern California and southern Oregon will result in 1 to 5 inches of snow this weekend, though it also may result in rain in later weeks.

Bomb cyclones have a rather evocative name, which comes from their explosive formation. As cold and warm air collide, it causes a drop in pressure that can rapidly intensify over 24 hours. If the pressure drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours, the storm is classified as a bomb cyclone. The one hanging over the area will drop from 1,000 millibars to less than 950 millibars from tonight to Tuesday night.

These low-pressure areas can then lead to atmospheric rivers, narrow streams that dump precipitation on the areas they float above. These rivers can stall and stay in the same area for a while if winds don’t blow them away.

While Lake Tahoe and its surrounding areas aren’t going to be hit as hard as the San Francisco Bay Area and the coasts, you can expect heavy gusts of wind and snow as the week wears on. Truckee will reportedly experience peak winds of up to 60 to 70 mph according to Fox Weather. And showers and snow are expected from Friday onwards into Thanksgiving. At least this weekend, there’s expected to be 1 to 3 inches of snow, though there may be up to 5.

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley.