A storm system brought heavy snow to portions of central Nevada with several locations reporting 6 to 7 inches of new snow.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 LKN wrote it up.
A storm system brought heavy snow to portions of central Nevada with several locations reporting 6 to 7 inches of new snow.
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 Feb 6, 12:32 PM PST, 3 hours 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 1232 PM PST FRI FEB 6 2009 .SYNOPSIS...A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OFF THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST WILL BRING A GOOD CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW TO MAINLY CENTRAL NEVADA TODAY AND TONIGHT. AS THIS LOW MOVES INTO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SATURDAY IT WILL CONTINUE TO BRING RAIN AND SNOW TO CENTRAL NEVADA. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DROPPING OUT OF THE NORTH WILL BRING SNOW TO NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEVADA SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY WITH SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE. .UPDATE...FRESHENED UP GRIDS TO REFLECT RECENT TRENDS INCLUDING LESS CLOUD COVER AND WARMER TEMPS IN THE NORTH. ALSO INCLUDED THUNDER POSSIBILITY IN THE SOUTH FOR THIS AFTERNOON. NEW PACKAGE WILL COME OUT SHORTLY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED AT 155 AM / SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY. SHORT WAVE MOVING ACROSS ERN NV ATTM BRINGING SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS. BY DAYBREAK THIS SHORT WAVE WILL BE EXITING INTO UTAH AND IDAHO. ANOTHER UPPER LOW FORMING OFF THE CNTRL CA COAST WILL PUSH MORE MOISTURE INTO CNTRL NV LATER THIS MORNING AND AFTN AND WILL GO WITH HIGH CHC TO LIKELY POPS THAT AREA TAPERING OFF TO SLIGHT CHANCE ACROSS NRN NV. SNOW LEVELS AROUND 5500 FEET BUT ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED TO GENERALLY BE LESS THAN AN INCH IN THE VALLEYS OF CNTRL NV TODAY. STARTING TONIGHT THE FORECAST GETS A LITTLE TRICKY ACROSS CNTRL NV AS UPPER LOW PUSHES INTO SRN CA. THE ECMWF CONTINUES TO SHOW MORE PRECIPITATION ACROSS THIS AREA WITH 24 HR AMOUNTS ENDING SATURDAY NIGHT AROUND 1/2 INCH OVER NRN NYE AND SRN WHITE PINE COUNTIES. HOWEVER BOTH THE GFS/NAM ARE DRIER WITH AROUND 1/4 TO 1/3 INCH...MAINLY OVER THE ERN PORTION OF NRN NYE AND SRN WHITE PINE...KEEPING THE HEAVIER PRECIP SOUTH OF OUR FORECAST AREA. THIS WOULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UPGRADING OUR CURRENT WINTER STORM WATCH TO A WARNING OR JUST GOING WITH AN ADVISORY. FOR NOW DUE TO THIS UNCERTAINTY WILL CONTINUE WITH THE WATCH AND HOPEFULLY LATER MODEL RUNS WILL BE IN BETTER AGREEMENT. PRECIP WILL BEGIN TO TAPER OFF SUNDAY MORNING ACROSS CNTRL NV AS UPPER LOW HEADS INTO SRN UT/NRN AZ. NEXT UPPER TROUGH WILL BE DIGGING SWD ALONG THE OREGON/NRN CA COAST BY SUNDAY AFTN BUT ANY PRECIP FROM THIS SYSTEM WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL SUNDAY NIGHT. LONG TERM...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A MORE ACTIVE PATTERN ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN THROUGH NEXT WEEK WITH SEVERAL STORM SYSTEMS PUSHING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN FROM THE GULF OF ALASKA. EACH SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO BRING A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD POLAR AIR TO THE AREA...WHICH HIGH TEMPS STRUGGLING TO REACH FREEZING NEXT WEEK. FOR SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR A STRONG WINTER STORM TO IMPACT THE REGION...WITH THE GFS AND ECMWF IN MUCH BETTER AGREEMENT...SHOWING A STRONG UPPER LEVEL TROUGH BECOMING NEGATIVELY TILTED AS IT PUSHES ONSHORE SUNDAY NIGHT AND INTO THE AREA ON MONDAY. 00Z GFS SHOWS SURFACE LEE-SIDE CYCLOGENESIS JUST SOUTH OF THE I80 CORRIDOR...WITH A 999MB SURFACE LOW PUSHING EAST AND THEN NORTHEAST INTO NRN UTAH BY LATE MONDAY. GFS SHOWS OMEGA VALUES OVER 15 UB/S TO 20 UB/S AT 700MB ALONG AND WEST OF AN AREA OF FRONTOGENESIS ACROSS MOST OF NRN AND CNTRL NV WEST OF HIGHWAY 93. GFS SOUNDINGS DEPICT AN UNSTABLE LOW TO MIDLEVEL AIRMASS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WHICH IS FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY PRECIP AS WELL. ECMWF SHOWS A SIMILAR SOLUTION...BUT NOT QUITE AS MUCH QPF COMPARED TO THE GFS WHICH SHOWS BETWEEN 0.40 TO 0.75 INCHES OF LIQUID ACROSS ALL ZONES EXCEPT ERN ELKO AND WHITE PINE COUNTIES. THIS TYPE OF SET UP IS FAVORABLE FOR A WINTER STORM ACROSS NRN AND CNTRL NV...SO INCREASED POP TO 60+ PCT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. MODELS ARE EXPECTED TO DIFFER ON THE LOCATION OF THE SURFACE LOW AND MAIN WRAP AROUND PRECIP BAND...SO WILL LIKELY HAVE A BETTER IDEA ON SPECIFIC SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THIS WEEKEND...BUT THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR 5 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW...EVEN IN THE VALLEYS BY MONDAY NIGHT. 700MB TEMPS EXPECTED TO LOWER BELOW -14C...WHICH WILL RESULT IN SURFACE TEMPS 10 TO 15 DEGS BELOW AVERAGE...BUT ALSO RESULT IN HIGH SNOW RATIOS AS WELL. ALL MODELS SHOW CONDITIONS IMPROVING FOR TUESDAY BEFORE THE NEXT COLD FRONT QUICKLY PUSHES SOUTHEAST FROM THE PAC NW EARLY WEDNESDAY...WITH THE GFS SHOWING A SECONDARY UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE IMPACTING THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. ECMWF SHOWS THIS DISTURBANCE A BIT FURTHER WEST COMPARED TO THE GFS...BUT STILL HAS LIGHT PRECIP MOVING ACROSS THE AREA AS ANOTHER COLD FRONT QUICKLY SWEEPS SOUTH...BRINGING 700MB TEMPS AS COLD AS -18C TO THE AREA. INCREASED POP TO 30 TO 50 PCT WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA WITH SLIGHTLY LOWER VALUES ACROSS CNTRL NV. LOWERED MAX TEMPS WITH HIGHS EXPECTED TO STRUGGLE TO REACH FREEZING. MIN TEMPS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO GET TOO COLD WITH CLOUD COVER PRESENT...WITH LOWS GENERALLY IN THE TEENS TO LOW 20S. FURTHER OUT...MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER THE ERN PACIFIC OCEAN AND WRN UNITED STATES THROUGH THE SECOND WEEKEND OF FEB...SO EXPECT COLDER THAN NORMAL TEMPS TO CONTINUE AS WELL AS MORE CHANCES OF SNOW ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN. AVIATION...CONDITIONS ACROSS CNTRL NV WILL DETERIORATE THIS MORNING AS A UPPER LEVEL LOW NEAR THE CALIF COASTLINE STARTS TO MOVE EAST. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AROUND KTPH EARLY THIS MORNING...AND AROUND NOON AT KELY WITH IFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED. PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT AND POSSIBLY INTO SATURDAY WITH SNOW BECOMING HEAVY AT TIMES AND LOW IFR CONDITIONS LIKELY ON SATURDAY. FURTHER NORTH...DO NOT EXPECT MUCH SNOW IN THE KWMC AND KEKO AREAS THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING...BUT CIGS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 3K FEET AGL PRODUCING PERIODS OF MVFR CONDITIONS. && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT FOR NVZ013-035. && 91/95/95/88
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 400 PM PST FRI FEB 6 2009 NVZ013-035-037-080000- NORTHERN NYE COUNTY-WHITE PINE COUNTY- SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN EUREKA COUNTY- 400 PM PST FRI FEB 6 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NEVADA...NORTH CENTRAL NEVADA AND SOUTH CENTRAL NEVADA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE THREAT OF LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS WILL INCREASE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY ACROSS NORTHERN NEVADA...HOWEVER LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED IN VALLEY AREAS OF HUMBOLDT AND ELKO COUNTIES. A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE OVER THE GREAT BASIN SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY WHICH MAY BRING 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW TO VALLEY AREAS AND 5 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW TO THE MOUNTAINS...WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS IN BOTH VALLEY AND MOUNTAIN AREAS POSSIBLE. HEAVIEST SNOW AMOUNTS CURRENTLY LOOK TO BE CENTERED ACROSS LANDER AND EUREKA COUNTIES AS WELL AS INTO THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF ELKO COUNTY. HUMBOLDT COUNTY WEST OF THE SANTA ROSA MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS EXTREME EASTERN ELKO COUNTY SHOULD SEE CONSIDERABLY LESS SNOW...POSSIBLY ONLY BETWEEN A TRACE AND 2 INCHES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. NVZ030>034-036-080000- HUMBOLDT COUNTY-NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY- SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY- EXTREME EASTERN ELKO COUNTY-RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE- NORTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND NORTHERN EUREKA COUNTY- 400 PM PST FRI FEB 6 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NEVADA...NORTH CENTRAL NEVADA...NORTHEAST NEVADA AND NORTHWEST NEVADA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM IS MOVING INTO CENTRAL NEVADA...AND WILL CONTINUE TO BRING SNOW SHOWERS...HEAVY AT TIMES...TO THE REGION THROUGH NOON ON SATURDAY. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE SEE THE LATEST WSWLKN PRODUCT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE OVER THE GREAT BASIN SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY WHICH MAY BRING 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW TO VALLEY AREAS AND 5 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW TO THE MOUNTAINS...WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS IN BOTH VALLEY AND MOUNTAIN AREAS POSSIBLE. HEAVIEST SNOW AMOUNTS CURRENTLY LOOK TO BE CENTERED ACROSS LANDER AND EUREKA COUNTIES AS WELL AS INTO THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF ELKO COUNTY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The Mountain Meadow Ranch in far northeastern Nye county reported 9 inches of new snow and the Indian Creek Ranch in far northern Nye reported 8 inches of new snow.
Heavy snow was reported across White Pine county. Seven inches of new snow was reported at Ely, Ruth, Moorman Ranch, and Great Basin National Park.
The Coop site at Eureka reported 7 inches of new snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, February 2009
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: 144616, 144615, 144617.