Surf’s up at Lake Tahoe, thanks to big storm

The snow ski season is supposed to be underway, but surfers paddled out on Lake Tahoe, taking advantage of the high winds and big waves brought by the big storm that began pummeling the northern part of the state on Thursday.

Some waves were as high as 7 feet, according to the National Weather Service. “You know the wave heights on Lake Tahoe are high when people head out to surf,” the Weather Service said. “It may be windy and cold out there, but he’s ready to go surfing!” (A photo on Facebook pointed to a surfer).

The “Pineapple Express” storm — its nickname from forming near the Hawaiian islands — is the strongest to hit parts of the state in six years. It brought some travel disruption and property damage with it, but Tahoe’s surfers were quick to make the most of the unusual weather system.

We’ve seen surfing on the West Shore in the past, but the waves weren’t this high.

The Reno office of the National Weather Service tweeted that conditions at the alpine lake, generally more popular for boating, water skiing and other summertime activities, were “dangerous” and that wave heights could reach up to seven feet. The temperature at the lake was 42 degrees Fahrenheit at time of writing, likely significantly warmer than at the time of the early morning surf sessions.

One person’s dangerous weather, however, is another’s idea of a good time, as shown in the album of images posted to Facebook by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office this morning, and videos posted to other social media sites.

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