Record cold predicted for Tahoe today

Down - the feathers and the temperatures - may be the word this week to describe a bitter cold snap anticipated for Lake Tahoe.

The National Weather Service predicted Sunday the basin would flirt with a record-cold overnight low into this morning. Temperatures could have dropped to 5 degrees below zero by this morning and may hover around zero on Tuesday morning, too.

Meteorologist Gina Beninato reported the record for Nov. 29 was set in 1975 at 4 degrees, while Nov. 30 is 6 degrees, established in 1931.

"We have the potential for two record breakers this week. It's going to be bitterly cold," Beninato said about Tahoe's temperatures from her Reno office.

The skies will be clear, which is one reason for the colder-than-normal temperatures. The averages for this time of year run 24 and 23 degrees, respectively.

Wednesday will warm up a bit, with temperatures in the teens and a 20 percent chance of precipitation.

A strong Pacific Coast storm brought rain and snow into the Bay Area and the Sierra Nevada Friday night and Saturday.

Up to 18 inches of snow fell above 8,000 feet, with forecasters a little surprised by the amount.

At lake level, 1 foot of snow fell, making skiers and boarders seeking more snow on the slopes thankful over the busy Thanksgiving holiday.

Westbound traffic crawled for hours over Echo Summit Saturday night and midday Sunday, with reports of the drive from Tahoe to San Francisco taking eight hours.

Spinouts kept the California Highway Patrol busy, with a few motorists even sliding into Caltrans vehicles, an officer reported Sunday.