Tahoe blizzard: Everything you need to know

Sierra blizzard: what you need to know

A cold storm from the Gulf of Alaska has led authorities to issue a blizzard warning covering much of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. Up to 12 feet of snow could fall in the hardest hit areas.

OAKLAND, Calif. - A blizzard is set to blanket the Tahoe area from Thursday to Sunday, sending up to 12 feet of snow to cover the area during that time period.

Since blizzards don't occur every day in California, we'd thought we'd break down what's going on and explain this weather phenomenon.

Where did the storm come from?

The cold weather originated in the Gulf of Alaska.

What is the definition of a blizzard?

There are actually three criteria that need to happen for a blizzard to occur. There needs to be sustained winds of more than 35 mph that lasts for more than three hours. Snow visibility is less than a quarter mile.

What can we expect from this blizzard?

Four inches of snow could fall every hour, which means that by Sunday, there could be up to 12 feet of snow in the mountainous areas of the Sierra. Wind gusts could exceed 75 mph.