Since Tahoe is predominantly a resort area there are definite patterns with respect to tourist visits. The high seasons, the summer and the winter ski season, bring visitors from all over the country with the majority from the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento. In the summer, we look forward to days that are usually warm with frequent afternoon thunder storms and cool clear nights. In the winter, days are usually clear and sunny with an occasional storm that supplies us with our famous Sierra snow. Grey overcast days are an exception.
Days are comfortable and nights are cold.
In the summer, bring light clothing and a light jacket for the evening. However, the snow never sticks to the ground during summer. Winter snowfall in the Sierra is usually plentiful and can vary tremendously from area to area and neighborhood to neighborhood. Higher elevations accumulate much more snow, even a fifty or a hundred foot elevation change can make a big difference. Micro climates in the winter are very evident.