Sierra Nevada Mountains/Sierra Nevadas: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Sierra Nevada Mountains/Sierra Nevadas
Sierra is Spanish for “sawtooth mountain range,” so knowledgeable Westerners usually avoid a redundancy by simply referring to “the Sierra Nevadas” or simply “the Sierras.” Transplanted weather forecasters often get this wrong.

Some object to the familiar abbreviation “Sierras,” but this form, like “Rockies” and “Smokies” is too well established to be considered erroneous.