Heavy Snow in Nevada, November 8 to 9, 2002

Name: Heavy Snow in Nevada, November 8 to 9, 2002
Start: 2002-11-08T01:00
End: 2002-11-09T09:00
Location: Nevada

November 8 to 9, 2002 · NWS LKN · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A moist Pacific storm system brought copious amounts of precipitation to northern and east central Nevada. The mountains and higher valley locations received significant amounts of snowfall.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 LKN wrote it up.

A moist Pacific storm system brought copious amounts of precipitation to northern and east central Nevada. The mountains and higher valley locations received significant amounts of snowfall. Some amounts include: Wild Horse and Wells 5 inches; Tuscarora and Charleston 4 inches; Lamoille Canyon snotel an estimated 31 inches; Hole-In-The-Mountain snotel an estimated 37 inches; Bear Creek snotel an estimated 20 inches; Ward Mountain Snotel an estimated 18 inches; and the Granite Peak snotel an estimated 14 inches.

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 Elko, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 7, 9:00 PM PST, 4 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 7, 9:00 PM PST, 4 hours before

NORTHERN GREAT BASIN FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV
900 PM PST THU NOV 7 2002

PRECIPITATION BEGINNING TO SPILL OVER THE SIERRAS WITH MODERATE
RAIN REPORTED AT RENO DURING THE PAST HOUR. PRECIPITATION SHOULD
WORK INTO EASTERN NEVADA LATER TONIGHT. HAVE ALREADY UPDATED THE
ZONES TO REFLECT THIS LATER TIMING. WIND ADVISORY FOR EAST CENTRAL
NV TONIGHT STILL LOOKS GOOD AS 700 MB WINDS PROGGED TO INCREASE TO
45-50 KTS LATER TONIGHT ALONG WITH AN INCREASING SURFACE GRADIENT.
700 MB TEMPERATURE AT RENO THIS EVENING WAS -4C WHICH TRANSLATES
INTO A SNOW LEVEL AROUND 6500 FEET SO CURRENT FORECAST LOOKS RIGHT
ON TRACK WITH SNOW LEVELS OF 6500 FEET LATER TONIGHT AND FRIDAY.
00Z ETA GIVING PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS AROUND A THIRD OF AN INCH
FRIDAY AND ANOTHER 1/2 INCH FRIDAY NIGHT. THIS SUPPORTS CURRENT
WINTER STORM WATCH FOR NORTHERN NV ABOVE 6500 FEET AS OROGRAPHICS
WILL ENHANCE AMOUNTS. THIS LOOKS REASONABLE WITH LFQ OF 120-140 JET
ACROSS THE REGION PROVIDING STRONG UPWARD MOTION. NO FURTHER UPDATES
PLANNED. COLLINS

.EKO...WIND ADVISORY FOR NVZ035-NVZ037 TONIGHT. WINTER STORM
       WATCH FOR FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT FOR MOUNTAINS ABOVE
       6500 FEET FOR NVZ030>NVZ032-NVZ034-NVZ036. WINTER STORM
       WATCH FOR MOUNTAINS ABOVE 6500 FEET FOR FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND
       FRIDAY NIGHT FOR NVZ033.

Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 7, 5:00 PM PST, 8 hours before

NVZ030>037-081500-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV
500 PM PST THU NOV 7 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL
NEVADA

.DAY ONE...

A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR WHITE PINE COUNTY AND
SOUTHERN EUREKA/SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTIES. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO
40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED...REFER TO RNONPWLKN FOR
DETAILS. A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN NEVADA ABOVE
6500 FEET FOR FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 12 TO
16 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE...REFER TO RNOWSWLKN FOR DETAILS.

.INSTRUCTIONS FOR SPOTTERS...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED...HOWEVER WEST WINDS OF 15 TO 30
MPH ALONG WITH VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW ARE EXPECTED ON
SATURDAY.

COLLINS

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Humboldt

When: November 8, 1:00 AM PST to November 9, 7:00 AM PST
Where: Humboldt forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 41.407, -118.112 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, N Elko Cnty

When: November 8, 2:00 AM PST to November 9, 9:00 AM PST
Where: N Elko Cnty forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.146, -115.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ruby Mountains/E Humboldt Range

When: November 8, 2:00 AM PST to November 9, 9:00 AM PST
Where: Ruby Mountains/E Humboldt Range forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 40.294, -115.130 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, White Pine

When: November 8, 3:00 AM PST to November 9, 9:00 AM PST
Where: White Pine forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 39.442, -114.902 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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: 5325502, 5325500, 5325501, 5325503.