The Daily 02-08-23 Don't drive to Tahoe on these 4 days in February

It doesn’t matter which of the two major routes you take to Tahoe — the juggernaut Interstate 80 or its cooler cousin Highway 50 — traffic delays are guaranteed if traveling on either side of a weekend.

Navigation software company Waze told SFGATE searches for directions to “South Lake Tahoe” from the Bay Area jumped more than 70% on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in January compared to weekdays, and searches for “Lake Tahoe” increased nearly 50% in that same time frame. 

The drive can take about 3.5 hours without traffic, but this duration can become unpredictable on winter weekends. Throw in Bay Area schools' ski week (multiplied by winter storms supplying loads of snow) and you have to face the possibility of the freeway being more like a parking lot.

Here's the best time to leave for Tahoe, according to experts.

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