A cold front produced strong gusty winds as it moved through the northern Sierra and western Nevada during the evening of February 29th and the morning of March 1st.
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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 cold front produced strong gusty winds as it moved through the northern Sierra and western Nevada during the evening of February 29th and the morning of March 1st.
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 Feb 29, 10:30 PM PST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
1030 PM PST FRI FEB 29 2008
.UPDATE...
COLD FRONT AND ASSOCIATED TROUGH MOVING INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
THIS EVENING WITH BAND OF SHOWERS EXTENDING SOUTHWARD FROM OREGON TO
AROUND REDDING. LATEST RADAR/SATELLITE SHOWED SOUTHERN END OF BAND
HAVING DIFFICULT TIME MAINTAINING ORGANIZATION AS IT MOVES EASTWARD.
DRY LOW ATMOSPHERE AND LIMITED MID LEVEL MOISTURE WILL PRECLUDE MORE
THAN SCATTERED SHOWERS MAKING IT INTO NORTHERN ZONES OVERNIGHT WITH
MORE ISOLATED ACTIVITY FURTHER SOUTH AROUND DAYBREAK. SHOWER
COVERAGE WAS DECREASED OVERNIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.
OTHERWISE WINDS ARE STILL ON TRACK WITH BEST GUSTS EXPECTED WITH
FRONTAL PASSAGE LATE TONIGHT AND VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING. LATEST
RAWS SITES SHOW GUSTS TO 40 MPH AT SOME OF THE WINDIER LOCATIONS AND
RIDGES WERE APPROACHING 100 MPH. LAKE WIND ADVISORIES WERE ADDED TO
PYRAMID LAKE WHERE GUSTS WERE ALREADY EXCEEDING CRITERIA. WHILE
WINDS WILL DECREASE THERE SATURDAY...A NORTHWEST TRAJECTORY SHOULD
REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR ROUGH CHOP AT LEAST INTO EARLY AFTERNOON.
TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY REMAIN WELL ABOVE FORECAST LOWS UNTIL
FRONTAL PASSAGE SATURDAY MORNING. HOHMANN
&&
.AVIATION...UPDATED
COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS AREA TAF SITES 10-14Z SATURDAY WITH THE
MAIN IMPACT BEING THE WIND. RIDGE GUSTS CLOSE TO OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE
90KT AND LOCAL GUSTS 50-60KT ALONG THE FOOTHILLS WILL PRECEDE AND
ACCOMPANY THIS FRONT. WIND GUSTS AT THE ACTUAL TAF SITES ARE
EXPECTED TO BE A LITTLE LESS BUT COULD STILL REACH 45-50KT. MOISTURE
WITH THIS SYSTEM IS VERY LIMITED. SO ISOLATED SHOWERS MAY BRIEFLY
REACH DOWN INTO KTRK AND EASTWARD ALONG I-80 TO KRNO/KLOL. HOWEVER
CEILINGS/VSBYS WILL REMAIN VFR. HOHMANN
&&
.SHORT TERM...EARLIER DISCUSSION
SYSTEM NOW COMING ONSHORE HAS LIMITED MOISTURE WITH JUST A BAND OF
SHOWERS ALONG THE COLD FRONT. MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT FOR THE
NEXT 24 HRS WITH RESPECT TO SENSIBLE WEATHER. HAVE BUMPED POPS
NORTH OF SUSANVILLE/GERLACH TO SHOW NUMEROUS SHOWERS ALONG THE
FRONT AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. DOMR GOOD FRONTOGENESIS UP THERE
ALONG WITH ENOUGH MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY SHOULD BE ABEL TO
PRODUCE A FEW MORE SHOWERS. OTHERWISE...AS FRONT MOVES SOUTH
DURING THE MORNING HOURS...FORCING WEAKENS AND SHOULD ONLY SEE
ISOLATED SHOWERS AT BEST AS FAR SOUTH AS HIGHWAY 50. BEHIND THE
FRONT...EXPECT SCT SHOWERS MAINLY NORTH OF I-80 THAT WILL
GRADUALLY DECREASE DURING THE DAY.
MAIN CONCERN HOWEVER WILL BE THE WINDS. 700 MB WINDS AT 40 KTS
CURRENTLY ARE FORECAST TO INCREASE TO 60-70 KTS AT 12Z. CURRENT
GUSTS ON THE SIERRA RIDGES ARE 75+ MPH SO WINDS ARE THERE. WINDS
ARE HAVING A BIT OF TROUBLE MIXING TO THE SURFACE ATTM AS THEY ARE
FIGHTING THE SFC GRADIENT. HOWEVER...EXPECT WINDS TO INCREASE ALL
AREAS BY 12Z. MAIN POSITIVES FOR A STRONG WIND EVENT...FOCUSED
RENO INTO MONO COUNTY...ARE A CRITICAL LEVEL DEVELOPING NEAR MTN
TOP LEVEL AROUND THE TIME OF STRONGEST 700 MB WINDS AND A DECENTWEST
TO EAST SFC PRESSURE GRADIENT. NEGATIVES ARE POSSIBLE LACK OF
PRECIP LOADING ON THE WEST SLOPE AND TIME OF DAY (NOT A
SIGNIFICANT FACTOR THIS TIME OF YEAR). WITH MODELS SHOWING A
TROPOPAUSE FOLD ARRIVING WITH THE FRONT AT 12Z...WILL ISSUE A
WARNING FOR RENO/MONO FOCUSED ON THE WIND PRONE AREAS. EXPECT
MAINLY ADVISORY LEVEL WIND SPEEDS IN MOST VALLEY LOCATIONS.
ELSEWHERE...ADVISORIES LOOK GOOD FOR LASSEN/TAHOE AND MINERAL
COUNTY. MY ONLY CONCERN IS THAT TAHOE MAY REACH WARNING CRITERIA
IN SOME AREAS BUT WILL LET SWING SHIFT MONITOR THE RISE IN SPEEDS.
AS FOR AS ZONES 5/70 THERMODYNAMIC PROFILES DO NOT LOOK IMPRESSIVE
AS IT IS A BIT MORE UNSTABLE THERE AND MORE FAVORABLE FOR A BIT OF
SPILLOVER.
AFTER THE FRONT PASSES TOMORROW MORNING EXPECT BREEZY WEST TO
NORTHWEST WINDS WITH TEMPS ABOUT 15 DEGREES COOLER THAN TODAY.
EXPECT WINDS TO SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST OVERNIGHT SAT WITH SOME
GUSTS TO 50 MPH POSSIBLE OVER RIDGES...BUT LIGHTER IN VALLEYS.
WITH LIGHT NE FLOW CONTINUING SUN WILL LEAVE TEMPS COOL UNDER
DEVELOPING WEAK INVERSIONS. A WARMUP IS EXPECTED MONDAY AHEAD OF A
WEAK SYSTEM PASSING WELL TO THE NORTHWEST AS FLOW SWITCHES TO THE
WEST. DO NOT EXPECT TEMPS TO BE AS WARM AS TODAY HOWEVER. WALLMANN
.LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...
NO MAJOR CHANGES TO LONG TERM FORECAST. STILL EXPECTING AN UPPER
RIDGE TO SET UP OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC BY MIDWEEK...WITH TROUGHING
OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CONUS. PIECE OF SHORTWAVE ENERGY WILL
PUSH DOWN THE BACKSIDE OF THE RIDGE AN INTO THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST
BY TUESDAY. STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH THE TRACK OF THIS
SHORTWAVE...WITH 12Z GFS KEEPING COLDEST AIR WELL EAST OF THE RENO
AREA. PREFER THE ECMWF/GFS ENS MEAN SOLUTION...WITH A BACKDOOR COLD
FRONT PUSHING THROUGH THE WESTERN GREAT BASIN TUESDAY AND THE JET
CUTTING OFF OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST WEDNESDAY. FLOW ALOFT WILL
BECOME MORE NORTH TO NORTHEASTERLY BRINGING COLDER AIR TO THE REGION
THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MAY NEED TO GO EVEN LOWER WITH FORECAST TEMPS
TUE/WED. RIDGING MOVES BACK INTO THE WEST COAST BY THU/FRI WITH
TEMPS BACK ON THE RISE. HOON
&&
.REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NV...WIND ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 7 AM PST SATURDAY FOR
NVZ002.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 4 AM TO 10 AM PST SATURDAY FOR NVZ001.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 7 AM PST SATURDAY
FOR NVZ003.
LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM PST SATURDAY FOR NVZ004.
CA...WIND ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 7 AM PST SATURDAY FOR
CAZ071-072.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 4 AM TO 10 AM PST SATURDAY FOR CAZ073.
&&
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RENOThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A 62 knot (71 mph) wind gust was recorded at the Nevada DOT sensor in Washoe Valley.
A trained weather spotter reported a 82 knot (94 mph) wind gust 4 miles northeast of the Mt. Rose ski area at an elevation of 5700 feet.
A 50 knot (58 mph) wind gust was recored by the Nevada DOT sensor just east of Spooner Summit.
A 54 knot (62 mph) wind gust was recorded at the Little Valley RAWS site.
A 69 knot (79 mph) wind gust was recorded at the Galena RAWS.
A 59 knot (68 mph) wind gust was recorded at the DRI sensor in south Reno near Arrow Creek.
A 53 knot (61 mph) wind gust was recorded at the Nevada DOT site along U. S. Highway 50 just west of U. S. Highway 395.
A trained weather spotter located 4 miles NNE of New Washoe City estimated wind gusts of 60 mph. Electrical power was lost at around 620AM PST.
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, March 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: 78001, 78002, 78003, 78004, 78005, 78006, 78007, 78008.