A snowstorm at the end of January and the beginning of February brought strong winds and over a foot of snow to portions of western Nevada.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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.
A snowstorm at the end of January and the beginning of February brought strong winds and over a foot of snow to portions of western Nevada.
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 Jan 31, 4:20 AM PST, 7 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
420 AM PST THU JAN 31 2008
.SHORT TERM...
PROGRESSIVE PATTERN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE NEXT
STORM OFF THE PAC NW COAST WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CWA
TONIGHT. AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM WARM ADVECTION IS PRODUCING AN AREA OF
PRECIPITATION OVER NRN CA/OR. THE HEAVIEST PRECIP HAS BEEN OVER NW
CA...HOWEVER PRECIP IS MOVING AND DEVELOPING FURTHER EAST THIS
MORNING...AND WILL SPREAD SOUTH ALONG THE SIERRA THROUGH TONIGHT.
SNOW LEVELS WILL REMAIN ON VALLEY FLOORS TODAY. SLIDE MTN TEMPS NEAR
20 DEGREES WOULD SUGGEST SNOW LEVELS ABOVE 5000 FEET...HOWEVER VERY
DRY AND COLD AIR AT THE SURFACE SUPPORTS SNOW AT ALL LOCATIONS TODAY
DESPITE ANY WARMING. SNOW WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT BEFORE TAPERING OFF EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. DECENT
MOISTURE PLUME NEAR 0.75-1.0 INCH WILL APPROACH THE AREA WITH SNOW
AMOUNTS OF 12-18 INCHES FORECAST IN THE HIGHER SIERRA...AND 6 TO 12
INCHES DOWN TO LAKE LEVEL AND WRN LASSEN COUNTY. THE HEAVIEST SNOW
WILL FALL BETWEEN 18Z-06Z NORTH OF HIGHWAY 50. INSTABILITY IS WEAK
WHICH WILL PREVENT MUCH OF THE SNOW FROM PUSHING INTO WRN NV...AT
LEAST SOUTH OF GERLACH. HOWEVER A COUPLE OF INCHES OF SNOW MAY
ACCUMULATE IN THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF HIGHWAY 395 FROM THE RENO AREA
SOUTH INTO DOUGLAS COUNTY. NORTH OF GERLACH MORE SNOW WILL MOVE EAST
WITH 2-4 INCHES OF SNOW LIKELY. SEE WINTER STORM STATEMENTS FOR MORE
DETAILED INFORMATION. WINDS WILL BE ANOTHER CONCERN TODAY AS IN
PREVIOUS STORMS. 700 MB WINDS INCREASE TO AROUND 65 KTS LATER THIS
AFTERNOON WITH A GOOD INVERSION ABOVE THE SURFACE. FORECAST
SOUNDINGS INDICATE THE INVERSION MAY BE AROUND 750 MB OR LOWER. THIS
CRITICAL LEVEL LOOKS TO BE TOO LOW TO SUPPORT A MAJOR HIGH WIND
EVENT AND THE FRONT IS NOT AS STRONG AS PREVIOUS FRONTS WITH A
WEAKER PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE GRADIENT. HOWEVER GUSTY WINDS WILL
DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ACROSS THE AREA...AND
GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH MAINLY IN WIND PRONE AREAS ESPECIALLY ALONG
HIGHWAY 395. GUSTS OVER THE RIDGES WILL REACH OR EXCEED 125 MPH
LATER TODAY. THESE WINDS WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS ONCE AGAIN IN THE
SIERRA AND PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST NEVADA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
THE COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND FALLING SNOW WILL CAUSE
VISIBILITIES TO DROP TO LESS THAN 1/4 MILE AT TIMES ESPECIALLY IN
THE SIERRA. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO USE CAUTION AND BE PREPARED FOR
WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS.
AS THE SNOW PUSHES SOUTH INTO MONO COUNTY...THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO
WEAKEN AS THE MAIN ENERGY PUSHES EAST OUT OF THE AREA. HOWEVER 3 TO
6 INCHES OF SNOW MAY FALL IN THE HIGHER SIERRA TO MEET SNOW ADVISORY
CRITERIA TONIGHT. WINDS WILL ALSO BE STRONG SIMILAR TO THE REST OF
THE AREA. THEREFORE THE DAY SHIFT WILL NEED TO CONSIDER ISSUING A
SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY MAINLY FOR THE 00Z-12Z TIME PERIOD
TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. WILL LET DAY SHIFT TAKE A FINAL LOOK
AFTER OBSERVING PRECIP TRENDS THIS MORNING.
THE SNOW WILL TAPER TO SHOWERS IN ALL AREAS FRIDAY MORNING WHILE
WINDS DECREASE AS THE SYSTEM MOVES FURTHER EAST. THERE WILL ANOTHER
SHORT BREAK BEFORE ANOTHER SYSTEM APPROACHES THE AREA ON SATURDAY.
IN THE MEANTIME TEMPERATURES WILL DROP TO THE TEENS ACROSS WRN NV
FRIDAY NIGHT AND INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS TO BELOW ZERO IN THE COLDER
SIERRA LOCATIONS. A WEAK SHORT WAVE MOVES ACROSS THE AREA FRIDAY
EVENING WHICH MAY PRODUCE LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS BEFORE THE NEXT
STRONGER SYSTEM APPROACHES THE AREA SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY MORNING. A
LOW MOVES OFF THE OREGON COAST SATURDAY EVENING WHICH IS A FAVORABLE
LOCATION FOR HEAVIER SNOW IN OUR CWA. HOWEVER THE SYSTEM IS MOVING
FAIRLY QUICK WHICH WILL TONE DOWN THE SNOW AMOUNTS SOME. THE 180+ KT
JET STREAM NOSES INTO THE TAHOE BASIN SATURDAY EVENING WITH STRONG
WARM ADVECTION GENERATING ANOTHER ROUND OF HEAVY SNOW FOR THE
SIERRA. GREATER INSTABILITY IN THE LEFT FRONT QUAD OF THE JET MOVES
INTO WRN NV WHICH IS MORE FAVORABLE FOR PRECIP TO MOVE INTO WRN NV.
VALLEY SNOW ACCUMULATION IS LIKELY ONCE AGAIN SATURDAY NIGHT INTO
SUNDAY. STAY TUNED FOR ANY ADDITIONAL WATCHES/WARNINGS FOR THE
WEEKEND. MCGUIRE
&&
.LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...
HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO BUILD INTO THE REGION LATE SUNDAY THROUGH
TUESDAY...BRINGING AN END TO ACTIVE PATTERN. A WEAK SYSTEM IS
EXPECTED TO PASS THROUGH THE PAC NW WEDNESDAY AND COULD BRING SOME
LIGHT PRECIP NORTH OF A GERLACH TO SUSANVILLE LINE...BUT NOTHING
SIGNIFICANT.
EXPECT STRONG SURFACE INVERSIONS DUE TO ANY SNOW COVER ON VALLEY
FLOORS AND WARMING TEMPERATURES AT MOUNTAIN TOP LEVEL EARLY IN THE
PERIOD. VALLEYS SHOULD WARM A COUPLE DEGREES EACH DAY. SYSTEM
PASSING BY TO THE NORTH MAY BE ENOUGH TO MIX OUT THE VALLEYS ON
WEDNESDAY...WHICH COULD BRING TEMPERATURES TO NEAR NORMAL. BRONG
&&
.AVIATION...
LIGHT SNOW HAS STARTED OVER THE NORTHERN SIERRA AND SHOULD REACH TVL
AND TRK NEAR 18Z. A STRONG JET STREAM WILL PUSH THROUGH AND BRING
GUSTY WINDS TO THE AREA. WINDS GUSTS EXCEEDING 85 KTS OVER THE
SIERRA RIDGES WILL OCCUR 18Z-09Z. STRONG SURFACE WINDS GUSTS 30-40
KTS MPH ARE LIKELY AT ALL TAF LOCATIONS 18-05Z. THERE IS THE
POTENTIAL FOR LLWS TODAY...AS THE WINDS OFF THE SURFACE INCREASE
BEFORE COUPLING WITH THE SURFACE WINDS 15Z-20Z AND ALONG THE COLD
FRONT 22Z-04Z. IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS AT TVL AND TRK DUE TO HEAVY SNOW
AS THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA BETWEEN 22Z AND 06Z.
AT KRNO...STRONG WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 KTS WILL BE THE GREATEST IMPACT
BEFORE THE FRONT REACHES THE TERMINAL AROUND 00Z. POTENTIAL FOR
SEVERAL HOURS OF SNOW ALONG THE FRONT WITH VISIBILITIES LOWER THAN
3SM AND CEILINGS BELOW 025 AGL. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO AN INCH
OR TWO LIKELY TO OCCUR BETWEEN 02-05Z. BRONG
&&
.REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NV...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM
PST FRIDAY FOR NVZ005.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM PST THIS EVENING
FOR NVZ001.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM PST FRIDAY
FOR NVZ002.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON
FOR NVZ003.
LAKE WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM PST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR NVZ004.
CA...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM
PST FRIDAY FOR CAZ070-071.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM PST THIS EVENING
FOR CAZ073.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM PST FRIDAY
FOR CAZ072.
&&
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RENOThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 high wind, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Storm-total snowfall amounts:
Diamond Peak Ski Resort, 12 inches;|Mt. Rose ski area, 12 inches|one mile northeast of Incline Village, 5 inches.
A 50 knot (58 mph) wind gust was recorded by the Black Springs NDOT station in Golden Valley 7 miles north of Reno.
A 55 knot (63 mph) wind gust was recorded at the Washoe Valley NDOT station 3 miles south of Washoe City. Blowing snow was reducing visibility to less than 1/4 mile at times.
The Nevada Highway Patrol reported that an empty tractor-trailer was blown over by strong winds on U.S. Highway 395 near the Red Rock exit 10 miles northwest of Reno.
The Reno Gazette-Journal reported that two power lines were down and arcing on Moana Lane, forcing the rerouting of traffic. Approximately 600 customers in the area were without power.
An off-duty NWS employee located in southwest Reno reported a 65 knot (75 mph) wind gust at an elevation of 4880 feet.
A 56 knot (65 mph) wind gust was recorded at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in north Reno.
A 54 knot (62 mph) wind gust was recorded by the wind sensor at Wolf Run Golf Course in south Reno.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, January 2008
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: 119002, 70494, 70496, 70502, 70507, 70509, 70539, 70541.