Icy temps have caused Emerald Bay to freeze

South Tahoe has had overnight lows of below zero for several days.

Twenty years ago, in January 1993, we hit minus 28 degrees in South Tahoe. Emerald Bay froze over. That occurred also in February 1989 at minus 29.

At such temperatures, many frozen pipes and subsequent water damage wouldn’t be realized until those cracked pipes thawed, sometimes many days later and then flooding homes.

The least cold January since 1969 was last year’s January at 9 degrees.

Emerald Bay becomes a block of ice in 1993 and 1989. Photos/Bill Kingman

— Bill Kingman