High Wind in Nevada, November 7, 2002

Name: High Wind in Nevada, November 7, 2002
Start: 2002-11-07T15:00
End: 2002-11-07T16:00
Location: Nevada

November 7, 2002 · NWS REV · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 high wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

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.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 6
Property damage: $250,000
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 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 Nov 7, 2:45 PM PST, 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 7, 2:45 PM PST, 15 minutes before

WESTERN NEVADA AND EASTERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
245 PM PST THU NOV 7 2002

STORM IN PROGRESS WITH HEAVIEST PRECIP EXPECTED TO FALL TONIGHT
THROUGH SATURDAY.  SNOW LEVELS LIKELY TO STABALIZE TONIGHT THEN FALL
LATE FRIDAY.  SNOW AMOUNTS ALONG THE SIERRA SHOULD RANGE FROM 1-2
FEET ABOVE 6000 FEET IN THE NRN SIERRA TO 3-5 FEET AT THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS OF THE SRN SIERRA.  WILL CONTINUE THE WARNING THRU FRIDAY
NIGHT AND THOSE MAY HAVE TO BE EXTENDED THRU SATURDAY.  WINDS NOT AS
LIKELY TO BE AS STRONG OVER THE CWA TONIGHT AS AIRMASS IS WETTER.
WILL KEEP A WIND ADVISORY UP MOST AREA THRU TONIGHT.

N THE EXTENDED...MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...12Z AVN/GFS IS GENERATING
.25 TO .50 INCH OF QPF IN THE OVERRUNNING PATTERN THROUGH MONDAY
AFTERNOON FROM THE RENO-TAHOE ZONES NORTHWARD. THIS QPF IS DEPICTED
DESPITE 500 MB HEIGHTS THAT ARE NORMALLY TOO HIGH FOR PRECIP...BUT
AFTER THE LARGE STORM IN THE SHORTER TERM PERIOD MOVES OUT THERE
SHOULD STILL BE SUFFICIENT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE THAT THE WARM
ADVECTION PROCESS WILL BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE OUT. THE TROUGH ITSELF
THEN PASSES THROUGH AND KEEPS THE BEST CHANCES FOR PRECIP FROM
TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING ACCORDING TO THE
GFS/AVN WHICH HAS MAINTAINED SOME CONSISTENCY SINCE YESTERDAYS RUN.
NOGAPS IS STILL ABOUT 12 HOURS EARLIER WITH ONSET AND END OF THE
PRECIP. THE CURRENT FORECAST WAS MORE IN LINE WITH THE AVN AND WILL
BE KEPT INTACT WITH THIS PACKAGE.

BY LATE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY SOME WEAK RIDGING MOVES INTO THE
WESTERN US WITH DRIER AIR MASS BUT HIGH CLOUDS AHEAD OF YET ANOTHER
TROUGH...SO ALL ZONES WILL MENTION OF AT LEAST PARTLY CLOUDY. TEMPS
THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD WILL BE CLOSE TO SEASONAL NORMALS WITH
MINOR FLUCTUATIONS AS EACH TROUGH APPROACHES AND PASSES THROUGH THE
WESTERN US. MJD

.REV...WINTER STORM WARNING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT CAZ071>073-NVZ002
       WIND ADVISORY TONIGHT CAZ070>073 NVZ001>005
       FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY CAZ072-073-NVZ002

Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 7, 6:15 AM PST, 8 hours 45 minutes before

CAZ070>073-NVZ001>005-071400-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
615 AM PST THU NOV 7 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NEVADA...THE EASTERN
SIERRA AND NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA.

.DAY ONE...

...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR LASSEN-EASTERN PLUMAS-EASTERN SIERRA
COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY...
...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE LAKE TAHOE AREA ABOVE 6500 FEET
TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY...
...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR MONO COUNTY ABOVE 7000 FEET TODAY
THROUGH SATURDAY...
...WIND ADVISORY FOR MUCH OF WESTERN NEVADA AND PARTS OF THE
EASTERN SIERRA TODAY...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY THROUGH THROUGH SATURDAY FOR BURN AREAS OF
EASTERN NEVADA...ALPINE AND MONO COUNTIES IN CALIFORNIA...

A SERIES OF PACIFIC STORM SYSTEMS WILL BRING HEAVY SNOW TO THE
HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA AND LASSEN COUNTY THROUGH SATURDAY.
MOTORISTS PLANNING TRAVEL INTO THE SIERRA AS WELL AS RECREATIONAL
INTERESTS SHOULD PREPARE FOR HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL TELEVISION AND RADIO
FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS DANGEROUS WINTER STORM.

PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER STORM WARNING...WSWREV...OR WMO ID
WWUS45 AND THE LATEST WIND ADVISORY...NPWREV...OR WMO ID WWUS75 AND THE
LATEST FLOOD WARNING...FFAREV...OR WMO ID WGUS65.

WATCH/WARNING INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT (LOWER
CASE): HTTP://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/RENO

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

RAIN AND SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES FRIDAY IN THE SIERRA AS WINTER
STORM WARNINGS CONTINUE FOR SATURDAY (DAY 2).  SNOW LEVELS WILL
LOWER AND RAIN MAY MIX WITH OR TURN TO SNOW IN THE WESTERN NEVADA
VALLEYS LATE SATURDAY.  FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE OVER BURN AREAS
OF EASTERN NEVADA...ALPINE AND MONO COUNTIES IN CALIFORNIA IN HEAVY
RAIN.

PRECIPITATION WILL BECOME MORE SHOWERY SUNDAY BEFORE ENDING
BY SUNDAY EVENING.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED DAYS 4 THROUGH 7 (MONDAY THROUGH
THURSDAY).

In the hours before

Local storm report, Nov 7, 11:30 AM PST, 3 hours 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO, NV
1130 AM PST THU NOV 7 2002

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

0214 AM    SOUTH LAKE TAHOE          CA   64 MPH NON TSTM WIND GUST
11/07/02   EL DORADO

0215 AM    SOUTH LAKE TAHOE          CA   E65 MPH NON TSTM WIND GUST
11/07/02   EL DORADO                      2 HOMES DAMAGED BY FALLING
                                          TREES

0220 AM    WASHOE VALLEY             NV   64 MPH NON TSTM WIND GUST
11/07/02   WASHOE

0255 AM    6 SW GARDNERVILLE         NV   84 MPH NON TSTM WIND GUST
11/07/02   DOUGLAS

0300 AM    STEAD                     NV   61 MPH NON TSTM WIND GUST
11/07/02   WASHOE

0303 AM    10 S RENO                 NV   60 MPH NON TSTM WIND GUST
11/07/02   WASHOE

0309 AM    15 W MADELINE             CA   58 MPH NON TSTM WIND GUST
11/07/02   LASSEN

0318 AM    MARKLEEVILLE              CA   60 MPH NON TSTM WIND GUST
11/07/02   ALPINE

0340 AM    DOYLE                     CA   64 MPH NON TSTM WIND GUST
11/07/02   LASSEN

0347 AM    WALKER                    CA   59 MPH NON TSTM WIND GUST
11/07/02   MONO

0457 AM    24 N VYA                  NV   63 MPH NON TSTM WIND GUST
11/07/02   WASHOE

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Western Nevada Basin and Range

When: November 7, 3:00 PM PST to 4:00 PM PST
Where: Western Nevada Basin and Range forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 6 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.927, -118.898 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong wind gusts estimated at 70 mph caused near zero visibility from blowing dust on U.S Highway 95 Alternate just south of Silver Springs in Lyon County. An 11 vehicle pile-up, including one semi-trailer rig , resulted from the reduced visibility. One person was killed in the accident and five others were injured.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
High Wind, Western Nevada Basin and Range	2002-11-07		Male	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Direct

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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, November 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: 5321711.