NEVADA COUNTY, Calif. July 27, 2020 – On Sunday afternoon, 71 lightning downstrikes were recorded in the high country. 39 for the Sierraville ranger district on the Tahoe National Forest and 32 for the Yuba River ranger district.

The little Town of Washington, Fordyce Lake and north of Downieville received the majority of the strikes.

Map courtesy Tahoe National Forest

Further to the north, lightning sparked the 250-acre Adams Fire on the Plumas National Forest, south of Doyle.

Today’s forecast calls for more thunderstorms in the higher elevations. If you are recreating in the high country, be weather-aware!

A weak area of low pressure moving through the region will bring scattered showers and thunderstorms to the Sierra Crest and southern Cascades this afternoon and early evening.

Lightning, gusty outflow winds, and brief heavy downpours are possible. Given dry sub-cloud layers, initial storms may produce little to no rainfall.

Warm and dry conditions will prevail over the rest of the region through Tuesday before a cool down ensues by mid-week.