Damaging Wind in Nevada, July 12, 2002

Name: Damaging Wind in Nevada, July 12, 2002
Start: 2002-07-12T17:30
End: 2002-07-12T18:30
Location: Nevada

July 12, 2002 · NWS REV · 1 event in 1 county or zone

, NV. During this time, an automated weather station measured a 78 mph wind gust in association with the storms.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS REV wrote it up.

Between 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm PDT, a line of severe thunderstorms moved through northern Washoe Co., NV. During this time, an automated weather station measured a 78 mph wind gust in association with the storms.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Reno, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 12, 1:45 PM PST, 3 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 12, 1:45 PM PST, 3 hours 45 minutes before

WESTERN NEVADA AND EASTERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
245 PM PDT FRI JUL 12 2002

DEEP SOUTHEAST FLOW ALONG THE SIERRA AND WESTERN SLOPES PUSHING
MOIST UNSTABLE AIR NORTHWEST.  VERY LITTLE DYNAMICS ASSOCIATED WITH
THIS CONVECTION SO DEVELOPMENT MAINLY BASED ON OROGRAPHIC AND TSTMS
OUTFLOW TRIGGERS.  BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF DYNAMICS CONVECTION SHOULD
GRADUALLY DIMINSH TOWARDS SUNSET.  GUSTY WINDS LIKELY THIS EVENING
WITH THIS CONVECTION.

ANOTHER ROUND OF CONVECITON SATURDAY.  THE MODELS DO HAVE A S/W
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THAT MOVES OVER THE AREA SATRUDAY NIGHT.  THAT
WILL LIKELY MAINTAIN THE CONVECTION OVERNIGHT SO WILL THROW IT IN
DURING THE NIGHT.  THEN THE AVN HAS THE HIGH PUSHING EAST GRADUALLY
ENDING UP IN THE ROCKIES.  A TROF WITH DRY SOUTHWEST FLOW
ESTABLISHES ALONG THE COAST SO WE WILL GRADUALLY DRY OUT.  HAVE
PUSHED THE TSTMS EAST AND SHOULD AFTER SUNDAY.

IN THE EXTENDED...FOR THE TUE THROUGH FRI PERIOD WILL BEGIN TO LEAN
MORE TOWARD A GRADUAL DRYING TREND IN LINE WITH CONSISTENT AVN RUNS
AND SHIFT TSTM ACTIVITY TOWARD THE SOUTH AND EAST. ECMWF TRYING TO
GRADUALLY SHIFT PERSISTENT RIDGE ACROSS AREA SLOWLY E TO THE EASTERN
GREAT BASIN TUE AND WED AND MORE TOWARD THE NORTHERN PLAINS TOWARD
THE END OF THE WEEK.  AVN FOR TUES AND WED ALSO CONTS TO BRING DRIER
SW FLOW INTO N AND W PTNS CWA. WILDCARD IS...AS MENTIONED IN
PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...WHETHER REMNANT TROPICAL MOISTURE FROM TS
CRISTINA MIGHT BE ENTRAINED INTO AREA FOR MID WEEK. PREVIOUS FCST
KEPT CHANCE POPS ALL ZONES WITH THIS REASONING BUT WILL LEAN MORE
TOWARD AVN/MRF TREND OF DRIER FCST MAINLY N AND W. BY THUR AND FRI
THIS MEANS THAT WILL KEEP CHC POPS ONLY IN MONO AND MINERAL
COUNTIES. JAH

.REV...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 800 PM FOR ALL FIRE WEATHER ZONES.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 12, 3:00 PM PST, 2 hours 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO, NV
400 PM PDT FRI JUL 12 2002

TIME(PDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

335 PM    COLD SPRINGS              NV   .75 INCH HAIL
07/12/02   WASHOE                         REPORTED BY SPOTTER

RM

Local storm report, Jul 12, 3:08 PM PST, 2 hours 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO, NV
408 PM PDT FRI JUL 12 2002

TIME(PDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

335 PM    COLD SPRINGS              NV   .75 INCH HAIL
07/12/02   WASHOE                         REPORTED BY SPOTTER

405 PM    SUN VALLEY                NV   .75 INCH HAIL
07/12/02   WASHOE                         REPORTED BY SPOTTER

RM

Local storm report, Jul 12, 3:37 PM PST, 1 hour 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO, NV
437 PM PDT FRI JUL 12 2002

TIME(PDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

335 PM    COLD SPRINGS              NV   .75 INCH HAIL
07/12/02   WASHOE                         REPORTED BY SPOTTER

405 PM    SUN VALLEY                NV   .75 INCH HAIL
07/12/02   WASHOE                         REPORTED BY SPOTTER

410 PM    PALOMINO VALLEY           NV   50 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
07/12/02   WASHOE                         WIND GUST CREATING
                                          BLOWING DUST.
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0413 PM    DAYTON                    NV   WIND DAMAGE
07/12/02   LYON                            MOBILE HOME FLATTENED.
                                           6 POWER POLES DOWN ALONG
                                           HIGHWAY 50.
                                           REPORTED BY KOLO TV

RM

The radar

The Reno radar (KRGX), 102 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:28 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Washoe

When: July 12, 5:30 PM PST to 6:30 PM PST
Where: Washoe County, 20 mi W of Gerlach
Measured: 68 kt (78 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 40.650, -119.733

78 mph wind gust

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Nevada in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Nevada, July 2002

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5314620.