NHP reported a multi vehicle accident resulting in two deaths. Between 4:30 and 5:00 pm, a snowstorm hit the Fernley area reducing visibility to 1/4 mile.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS REV wrote it up.
NHP reported a multi vehicle accident resulting in two deaths. Between 4:30 and 5:00 pm, a snowstorm hit the Fernley area reducing visibility to 1/4 mile. One semi lost control and spun out on I-80 about 6 miles east of Fernley, blocking the lanes and causing other vehicles to stop. Two sedans, a pickup, and another semi were all stopped when a third semi also lost control and was unable to stop. It overturned and crushed one of the sedans, killing both occupants. The driver was a 47 year old female from Winnemucca, NV., and her passenger was a 56 year old male, also from Winnemucca. The two sedans and pickup were totalled and two of the semis had moderate damage. Damage was estimated at $150,000.
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 Mar 7, 2:15 PM PST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.
WESTERN NEVADA AND EASTERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
215 PM PST THU MAR 7 2002
COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH A SHORTWAVE WILL BRING SNOW THIS EVENING
ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AS IT PUSHES SOUTHWARD. WINDS REMAIN GUSTY
IN THE VICINITY OF THE FRONT. SO WILL EXTEND WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES
THROUGH 9PM THIS EVENING EXCEPT ACROSS NORTHWEST NEVADA AND
NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA PORTIONS OF ZONES. SHORTWAVE MOVES QUICKLY
THROUGH AREA LATER THIS EVENING...SO EXPECT SKIES TO PARTIAL CLEAR
OVERNIGHT. SHORTWAVE RIDGE WILL KEEP CONDITIONS DRY FOR FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY. ANOTHER TROUGH NEARS THE CALIFORNIA AND PACIFIC NORTHWEST
COAST FOR SATURDAY. BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED
ACROSS ALL ZONES BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. 12Z AVN MOVING PRECIPITATION
INTO THE SIERRA AND NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA BY SATURDAY NIGHT WITH 12Z
ETA ABOUT 6 HOURS SLOWER. WILL GO LIKELY POPS IN THE SIERRA WITH
CHANCE POPS IN THE WESTERN NV VALLEYS AS TROUGH PUSHES THROUGH BY
LATE SUNDAY.
IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD...AFTER SHORT WAVE TROUGH ON SUNDAY...POLAR
JET RETREATS TO AFFECT MAINLY PACIFIC NORTHWEST MONDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. NORTHERN ZONES MAY BE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BAROCLINIC FLOW FOR
CHANCE OF SHOWERS THROUGH PERIOD AND WILL MENTION IN FORECAST WHILE
REMAINDER OF REGION WILL BE DRY. AMPLIFYING RIDGE IN EASTERN PACIFIC
WILL ALLOW DEEPER TROUGH TO MOVE ACROSS THIS AREA ON THURSDAY. WILL
MENTION CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW ALL ZONES FOR THURSDAY WITH BEST
CHANCE IN TAHOE AND NE CALIFORNIA ZONES.
.REV...WINTER STORM WARNING ZONE 2/72 UNTIL 9PM
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE SIERRA PORTION OF ZONE 73
UNTIL 9PM
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ZONE 3
ABOVE 5000 FEET UNTIL 9PM
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ZONE 4
ABOVE 5500 FEET UNTIL 9PM
WIND ADVISORY FOR ZONES 3 AND 73 UNTIL 9PMThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, March 2002
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: 5286133.