Tahoe Integrated Information Management System

Basin Topics > Air > Visibility

Air quality in the Lake Tahoe Basin affects the ability to view significant distances. The ability to see substantial distances and enjoy the scenic beauty of the area has been identified by the general public as one of most important attributes of the Lake Tahoe Basin. For this reason, visibility was identified as a key indicator for the Lake Tahoe Basin’s air quality. There are two types of visibility indicators: regional and sub-regional visibility.

Regional visibility is defined as the overall visibility across the Lake Tahoe Basin and is measured at Bliss State Park.

Sub-regional visibility is defined as the overall visibility over the urbanized areas and is measured in South Lake Tahoe.

Visibility is influenced both by natural factors such as clouds, snow cover, sun angle, and by human-introduced air pollutants such as dust and combustion emissions.

Related topics:
Meteorology
Pollution

[Photo]: Truck driving on Lake Tahoe highway toward mountain. Copyright: Tahoe Regional Planning Agency - click for more information

[Photo]: Snow-covered landscape, view of mountains and trees. Copyright: Larry Prosser