Scattered thunderstorms occurred across western Nevada.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Scattered thunderstorms occurred across 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 Jul 18, 2:55 PM PST, 2 hours 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV 355 PM PDT SAT JUL 18 2009 .SHORT TERM... MOISTURE SURGE EVIDENT ON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY THIS AFTERNOON WITH A NARROW DRY SLOT PUSHING ACROSS THE WEST SLOPES OF THE SIERRA. A VORT MAX IS SHOWN PUSHING NORTHEAST OVER MONO COUNTY INTO MINERAL COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON. THIS FEATURE WAS PRODUCING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE INCREASING MOISTURE HAS SENT DEWPOINTS MUCH HIGHER IN THE SOUTHERN ZONES. MAMMOTH LAKES DEWPOINT SHOT UP TO 55 DEGREES FOR A TIME THIS AFTERNOON WHILE HAWTHORNE ROSE TO 54 DEGREES. DEWPOINTS WERE MUSH LOWER IN OTHER AREAS AND WOULD SUPPORT GUSTY VARIABLE WINDS NEAR THUNDERSTORMS. WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS MOST OF THE CWA INTO THE EVENING AS STORMS TRANSITION TO WET. THE VORT MOVING THROUGH THE SOUTHERN ZONES THIS AFTERNOON IS ONLY ONE OF A SERIES OF SMALL FEATURES ROTATING AROUND THE STRONG RIDGE NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS AREA. MANY OF THE VORT FEATURES ARE REMNANTS OF TS DOLORES. A SECONDARY VORT FEATURE MOVES ACROSS NORTHERN CA OVERNIGHT AND SHOULD ALLOW ISOLATED SHOWERS TO CONTINUE OVERNIGHT ACROSS NORTHERN LASSEN AND WASHOE COUNTIES. YET ANOTHER WEAK FEATURE MOVES OVER CENTRAL CA SUNDAY MORNING AND MAY PRODUCE A FEW SHOWERS IN THE CA ZONES. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP ACROSS THE CWA SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS THE AIRMASS IS MOIST AND UNSTABLE. THE MOISTURE REMAINS OVER THE AREA WITH PWATS NEAR .75 INCH OVER MUCH OF THE CWA...AND CLOSE TO AN INCH IN THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN ZONES. SHOWERS WERE KEPT IN THOSE ZONES SUNDAY NIGHT. THE LATEST (18Z) MODELS SUGGEST SOME DRYING FOR MONDAY AS WESTERLY FLOW INCREASES. CURRENTLY MOST AREAS SHOW A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON STORMS MONDAY BUT THIS MAY NEED TO BE TRIMMED BACK IF LATER MODEL RUNS CONTINUE TO SHOW THE DRYING. ON TUESDAY DRIER MORE STABLE AIR WILL BE OVER MUCH OF THE CWA WITH THE ONLY THREAT OF PRECIP BEING IN THE MONO-MINERAL COUNTY CONVERGENCE ZONE. HOT TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TOMORROW WITH HIGHS NEAR 100 IN MANY WESTERN NV VALLEYS. MINOR COOLING IS EXPECTED MONDAY AS THE RIDGE FLATTENS A BIT BUT TEMPS WILL REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... STRONG HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST THROUGH NEXT WEEK AND BUILD WEST OVER NV BY NEXT WEEKEND. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW AROUND THE HIGH WILL CONTINUE OVER WRN NV AND THE SIERRA THROUGH FRIDAY. THE MODELS TRY TO DEVELOP CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASING MOISTURE IN SOUTHERLY FLOW AROUND HIGH AND MODEST INSTABILITY. THE GFS CONTINUES TO BE SLIGHTLY WETTER THAN THE EURO AND GENERATES PRECIP EVERY AFTERNOON/EVENING OVER THE SIERRA IN MONO COUNTY. IF FLOW WERE TO BE MORE SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST THAN THIS WOULD FAVOR THE SIERRA CREST FOR TSTMS...WITH AREAS TO THE EAST REMAINING DRY. TSTMS WERE ADDED IN MONO COUNTY FOR WEDNESDAY...BUT THURSDAY WAS LEFT DRY DUE TO UNCERTAINTY WITH MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY. THE GFS HAS QUITE A BIT OF 500 MB AND HIGHER MOISTURE MOVING IN BY THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY. MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATE SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST FLOW ABOVE THE SURFACE TO 250 MB AND 300-400 J/KG OF CAPE BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE EUROPEAN IS NOT AS ROBUST WITH SOUTHEAST FLOW ALOFT AND HENCE BRINGS LESS MOISTURE INTO THE AREA...BUT STILL GENERATES PRECIP ALONG THE SIERRA. THEREFORE TSTMS WERE ADDED TO AT LEAST THE SIERRA CREST AS THIS WOULD BE THE MOST FAVORED AREA FOR CONVECTION IN SOUTHEAST FLOW. POPS CAN BE ADJUSTED BY LATER SHIFTS. SATURDAY WAS LEFT DRY FOR NOW DUE TO MODEL DIFFERENCES. CONFIDENCE IS LOW ON CONVECTION NEXT WEEK...BUT DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH A COMPLETELY DRY FORECAST. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL IN THE UPPER 90S TO LOW 100S OVER WRN NV AND IN THE UPPER 802 IN THE SIERRA NEXT WEEK UNDER HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE...BUT MAY BE DOWN A FEW DEGREES IF CONVECTION GETS GOING LATE NEXT WEEK. GMCGUIRE && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TODAY. MOISTURE WILL PUSH NORTH TODAY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND TSTMS FOR DEVELOPING NEAR KRNO/KTVL/KTRK. DUE TO ISOLATED NATURE OF STORMS...TSTMS WERE NOT CARRIED IN THE TAFS. ABOUT A 10% CHANCE OF TSTMS CAN BE EXPECTED AT THE KRNO/KTVL AIRPORTS BETWEEN 22Z-02Z...WITH LESSER CHANCES AT KTRK/KLOL. WESTERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP ONCE AGAIN AFTER 22Z WHICH WILL PUSH CONVECTION EAST OF THE AREA BY EARLY EVENING. SIMILAR CONDITIONS EXPECTED ON SUNDAY. GMCGUIRE && .FIRE WEATHER... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER MONO/MINERAL COUNTIES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH MOISTURE SURGE AND EMBEDDED VORT MAXIMA THAT WAS LIFTING NORTHWARD ACROSS NV. LAL HAS BEEN CLOSER TO 4 IN THESE AREAS AND WILL KEEP THIS LEVEL INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. DEWPOINTS WERE IN THE MID 30S TO MID 40S. CELL REDEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING LIKELY TO KEEP STORMS MOSTLY WET AND LIMIT DRY POTENTIAL. FURTHER NORTH WHERE THE AIRMASS IS A BIT DRIER (SFC DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER 20S TO MID 30S)...ACTIVITY HAS BEEN MORE ISOLATED BUT MORE LIKELY TO HAVE DRIER CHARACTERISTICS. MOISTURE ALOFT WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE AS THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL MOISTURE GETS DRAWN IN TO THE AREA. ISOLATED STORMS WILL BE MOSTLY DRY INTO EARLY EVENING AND THEN TRANSITION TO A HYBRID WET/DRY. ASIDE FROM THE LIGHTNING...DOWNBURST WINDS 40 TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THESE STORMS AS THEY COLLAPSE. LARGER AREA OF DEFORMATION/THETA-E RICH PROFILE WILL SINK SOUTHEASTWARD INTO NORTHERN ZONES OVERNIGHT AND BRING AN INCREASE IN SHOWERS. CLOUDINESS AND SHOWERS WILL LIKELY PERSIST INTO THE DAY SUNDAY AND LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY. SO WHILE THERE WILL BE MORE ACTIVITY...LAL WILL BE LIMITED TO 3. MOST AREAS WILL HAVE A POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED THUNDER SUNDAY. HOWEVER STORMS WILL BE MUCH WETTER WITH AFTERNOON MINIMUM HUMIDITY LEVELS UP SLIGHTLY. HOHMANN && .REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NV...NONE. CA...NONE. && HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RENO
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV 255 PM PDT SAT JUL 18 2009 CAZ073-NVZ001-182245- MINERAL AND SOUTHERN LYON COUNTIES-MONO- 255 PM PDT SAT JUL 18 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM BODIE TO WALKER LAKE... AT 249 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 9 MILES NORTH OF HAWTHORNE TO BODIE...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR WALKER LAKE TO BODIE. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST 15 TO 20 MPH. FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...BRIEF MODERATE RAIN WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF LESS THAN ONE QUARTER INCH PER HOUR AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS OF UP TO 55 MPH... ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. * LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...HAWTHORNE...WALKER LAKE...BODIE... HAWTHORNE INDUSTRIAL AIRPORT...JUNCTION CA 270 AT NV STATE LINE AND MOUNT GRANT. PEOPLE AND BOATERS ON WALKER LAKE SHOULD RETURN TO SHORE IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK SHELTERS INDOORS. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT WALKER LAKE THROUGH 400 PM. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA ALL HAZARDS RADIO... WEATHER.GOV/RENO ON THE INTERNET...OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR LATER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. && LAT...LON 3865 11828 3815 11903 3825 11917 3883 11874 TIME...MOT...LOC 2151Z 241DEG 2KT 3865 11857 3823 11906 MCGUIRE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV 353 PM PDT SAT JUL 18 2009 CAZ073-NVZ001-182330- MINERAL AND SOUTHERN LYON COUNTIES-MONO- 353 PM PDT SAT JUL 18 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE FROM BODIE TO NEAR WALKER LAKE... AT 348 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PINE GROVE TO BODIE...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 31 MILES EAST OF COLEVILLE TO BODIE. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH. OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING...BRIEF MODERATE RAIN WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS LESS THAN ONE QUARTER INCH...AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS OF UP TO 55 MPH...ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. * LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...WALKER LAKE...BODIE...JUNCTION CA 270 AT NV STATE LINE...MOUNT GRANT AND BALD MOUNTAIN. HIKERS AND CAMPERS SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IN A VEHICLE IF POSSIBLE. TENTS AND TREES ARE UNSAFE SHELTERS DURING THUNDERSTORMS. PEOPLE AND BOATERS ON WALKER LAKE SHOULD RETURN TO SHORE IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK SHELTERS INDOORS. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT WALKER LAKE THROUGH 430 PM. && LAT...LON 3905 11863 3851 11865 3809 11906 3868 11905 TIME...MOT...LOC 2249Z 216DEG 36KT 3868 11894 3821 11902
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV 505 PM PDT SAT JUL 18 2009 NVZ001-003-004-190045- GREATER RENO-CARSON CITY-MINDEN AREA-MINERAL AND SOUTHERN LYON COUNTIES-WESTERN NEVADA BASIN AND RANGE INCLUDING PYRAMID LAKE- 505 PM PDT SAT JUL 18 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS FROM MASON SOUTHEAST TO NEAR WALKER LAKE... AT 501 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM MASON TO PINE GROVE...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF TOPAZ LAKE TO 27 MILES EAST OF COLEVILLE...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING...BRIEF MODERATE RAIN WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF LESS THAN ONE QUARTER INCH PER...AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS OF UP TO 55 MPH REDUCING VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING DUST...ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. * LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...MASON...SCHURZ...WEED HEIGHTS... YERINGTON...YERINGTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AND JUNCTION NV 339 AND NV 208. PEOPLE AND BOATERS ON WALKER LAKE SHOULD RETURN TO SHORE IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK SHELTERS INDOORS. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT THE NORTHERN END OF WALKER LAKE BY 545 PM. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA ALL HAZARDS RADIO... WEATHER.GOV/RENO ON THE INTERNET...OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR LATER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. && LAT...LON 3923 11897 3875 11860 3856 11904 3898 11941 TIME...MOT...LOC 0003Z 238DEG 15KT 3896 11923 3870 11903
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV 547 PM PDT SAT JUL 18 2009 NVZ001-004-190130- MINERAL AND SOUTHERN LYON COUNTIES-WESTERN NEVADA BASIN AND RANGE INCLUDING PYRAMID LAKE- 547 PM PDT SAT JUL 18 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER LYON COUNTY... AT 544 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR YERINGTON...OR 31 MILES NORTHEAST OF TOPAZ LAKE...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING...BRIEF MODERATE RAIN WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF LESS THAN ONE QUARTER INCH...AND GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 30 TO 40 MPH REDUCING VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING DUST...ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...MASON...WEED HEIGHTS...YERINGTON... YERINGTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...US 95 AT MINERAL-LYON CO LINE AND US 95 AT LYON-CHURCHILL CO LINE. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA ALL HAZARDS RADIO... WEATHER.GOV/RENO ON THE INTERNET...OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR LATER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. && LAT...LON 3931 11896 3910 11872 3887 11915 3900 11930 TIME...MOT...LOC 0045Z 227DEG 17KT 3900 11914
The Reno radar (KRGX), 74 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:20 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Nevada DOT wind sensor near Toulon recorded a wind gust of 60 kt (69 mph).
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, July 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: 186493.