Thunderstorms brought gusty winds to 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.
Thunderstorms brought gusty winds to 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 May 18, 2:00 PM PST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV 300 PM PDT MON MAY 18 2009 SHORT TERM... CUT OFF LOW OFF CA COAST HAS ALLOWED MOISTURE TO MOVE INTO THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA LEADING TO SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. CONVECTION ONGOING SOUTH OF TAHOE BUT HAVING DIFFICULT TIME GETTING MUCH FURTHER NORTH IN THE SIERRA DUE TO STRONGER WESTERLY FLOW ABOVE RIDGES. STORMS SHOULD PUSH OFF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA AND INTO WESTERN NEVADA SOUTH OF I-80 LATER THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE EVENING. OUTFLOW WINDS ARE THE MAIN THREAT FROM CONVECTION AND COULD BE QUITE STRONG DUE TO DRY AIR IN THE LOWER LEVELS. MONO/MINERAL AND SOUTHERN LYON/CHURCHILL COUNTIES HAVE THE BEST CHANCES FOR STORMS INTO THE EVENING. SWRLY WIND GUSTS OF 20-30 MPH TO CONTINUE THIS EVENING NORTH OF AROUND HIGHWAY 50 AS A TROUGH APPROACHES THE PAC NW. TEMPS AGAIN TODAY RUNNING AROUND 20 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL WITH A FEW LOCATIONS EXPECTED TO AGAIN TIE OR BREAK RECORDS. THERE WILL BE SOME CLOUD COVER TONIGHT DUE TO CONVECTION AND MID/HIGH CLOUDS WRAPPING AROUND THE UPPER LOW. THIS WILL LEAD TO MILD OVERNIGHT LOWS WHICH WILL LIKELY BREAK THE RECORD HIGH MINIMUM FOR RENO WHICH IS 56 DEGREES (CURRENT OVERNIGHT LOW FORECAST IS 59). A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE MOVING INTO THE PAC NW TUESDAY WILL PROVIDE A DRIER AND MORE STABLE FLOW ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS TO MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA. TEMPS TO COOL BY AN AVERAGE OF 8-13 DEGREES OVER MOST LOCATIONS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTH WHERE SIGNIFICANT COOLING ALOFT IS EXPECTED. WIND GUSTS OF 30-40 MPH ARE ALSO EXPECTED NORTH OF AROUND HIGHWAY 50. MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY TO CONTINUE OVER THE SOUTHERN SIERRA AND INTO MINERAL AND SOUTHERN LYON COUNTY WHERE ISOLATED STORMS WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST ALTHOUGH COVERAGE DOESNT LOOK TO BE NEARLY AS GOOD AS TODAY. MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL HAVE DRY AND STABLE WESTERLY FLOW WEDNESDAY. SLIGHT CHANCE CONVECTION WAS LEFT FOR MONO/MINERAL COUNTIES...ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE NONE AT ALL DUE TO MEAGER MOISTURE AND MARGINAL INSTABILITY. THE PAC NW TROUGH WILL HAVE MOVED EAST AND WEAK RIDGING WILL BE ABLE TO AGAIN BUILD INTO THE FORECAST AREA. THIS WILL BRING LIGHTER WINDS COMPARED TO TUESDAY WITH TEMPS RUNNING AROUND 4-8 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE. A WEAK CUT OFF LOW BECOMES ESTABLISHED OFF THE CA COAST BY THURSDAY AND ALLOWS MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY TO AGAIN CREEP INTO THE SOUTHERN ZONES AND POSSIBLY AS FAR NORTH THE TAHOE/RENO AREA. MILNE .LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY... MINIMAL CHANGES MADE TO THE LONG TERM SECTION OF THE FORECAST. EPS DATA SHOWS RELATIVELY LOW SPREAD THRU SUNDAY...INCREASING INTO MON FLOW ALOFT CHARACTERIZED BY WEAK TROFINESS THRU THE WEEKEND WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF RIDGING WORKING INTO THE WRN CONUS EARLY NEXT WEEK. CWA LOOKS TO BE ON WRN PERIPHERY OF A MOISTURE PLUME LATE THIS WEEK. RESIDUAL MOISTURE ALOFT FROM THIS FEATURE WILL HELP GENERATE ISOLD DIURNAL TS OVER MONO MINERAL CONVERGENCE ZONE. NORTHWARD EXTENT OF CONVECTION IS HIGHLY UNCERTAIN GFS WOULD SUGGEST CONVECTION UP INTO THE TAHOE BASIN SUN/MON WITH WEAK TROF UNDERCUTTING RIDGE HELPING FLOW ALOFT TURN MORE S/SE. GEFS 700 MB TEMP ANOMALIES SUGGEST DAYTIME HIGHS SEVERAL DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL, BUT NOTHING TOO HOT. CS && .AVIATION... WESTERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTN/EVE AT AREA TAF SITES, THOUGH NOTHING OVERLY STRONG. INCREASING MOISTURE ALOFT IS HELPING TRIGGER ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS, MAINLY SOUTHEAST OF A TVL-RNO LINE. TS WILL BE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ALONG HIGHER TERRAIN INITIALLY AND THEN TRANSLATE NORTHWARD BASED ON 3-8KM AGL FLOW. ROUTES INTO/OUT OF THE BAY AREA MAY BE IMPACTED BY SCATTERED CONVECTION OVER THE SIERRA, MAINLY SOUTH OF TVL. STORMS WILL BE HIGH BASED AND BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY AND ERRATIC OUTFLOW WINDS WITHIN 25 NM OF ANY CELLS. A COUPLE OF OUR MODELS ARE SHOWING ISOLATED STORMS ALONG THE VIRGINIA/PAH RAH RANGES EAST OF RNO. SHOULD THESE OCCUR THEY WOULD CREATE GUSTY OUTFLOW THAT COULD AFFECT RNO. CS && .REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NV...NONE. CA...NONE. && HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RENO
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV 257 PM PDT MON MAY 18 2009 NVZ001-004-182245- MINERAL AND SOUTHERN LYON COUNTIES-WESTERN NEVADA BASIN AND RANGE INCLUDING PYRAMID LAKE- 257 PM PDT MON MAY 18 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS NORTH OF WALKER LAKE... AT 253 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS ARE TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF BALD MOUNTAIN TO PINE GROVE...AND MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH. OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING...AND GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH...WITH AREAS OF BLOWING DUST...ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. * LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...SCHURZ...WALKER LAKE...US 95 AT MINERAL-LYON CO LINE...US 95 AT LYON-CHURCHILL CO LINE...ALT US 95 AT LYON-MINERAL CO LINE AND BALD MOUNTAIN. TRAVELERS ALONG HIGHWAY 95 MAY BE IMPACTED BY STRONG GUSTY CROSS WINDS AND AREAS OF BLOWING DUST. VISIBILITIES MAY DROP TO BELOW ONE HALF MILE IN SPOTS. 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. CS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV 344 PM PDT MON MAY 18 2009 NVZ001-182310- MINERAL AND SOUTHERN LYON COUNTIES- 344 PM PDT MON MAY 18 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH GUSTY WINDS NEAR LUNING... AT 342 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS ARE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LUNING...OR 29 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GABBS... AND MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH. ADDITIONAL STORMS ARE DEVELOPING WEST OF MINA. OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING...AND GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH...WITH AREAS OF BLOWING DUST...ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. * LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...LUNING AND INDIAN HEAD PEAK. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT TRAVELERS ON HIGHWAY 95 BETWEEN HAWTHORNE AND COALDALE. DRIVERS SHOULD EXPECT STRONG GUSTY CROSS WINDS...WITH RAPID VISIBILITY REDUCTIONS IN BLOWING DUST. 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. CS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV 411 PM PDT MON MAY 18 2009 NVZ004-182345- WESTERN NEVADA BASIN AND RANGE INCLUDING PYRAMID LAKE- 411 PM PDT MON MAY 18 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR FALLON AND SAND MOUNTAIN... AT 407 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS ARE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 17 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FALLON...AND MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING...AND GUSTY WINDS TO 45 MPH...WITH AREAS OF BLOWING DUST...ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...FALLON...FALLON STATION...SAND MOUNTAIN CAMPGROUND...SAND MOUNTAIN...STILLWATER AND FALLON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT TRAVELERS ON HIGHWAY 50 EAST OF FALLON. DRIVERS SHOULD EXPECT STRONG GUSTY CROSS WINDS...WITH RAPID VISIBILITY REDUCTIONS. BLOWING DUST MAY REDUCE VISIBILITY TO LESS THAN ONE HALF MILE. 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. CS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained weather spotter reported that a 20-ft tall 2-ft diameter tree was blown down onto a fence. Numerous small branches from other trees were also broken by the strong wind gusts.
A trained weather spotter reported wind gusts to 43 knots (50 mph) near Fallon Station. The strong wind produced blowing dust which reduced visibility to around 3 miles. A tree was blown over onto a power line which resulted in a loss of power for a few minutes.
A 56 knot (64 mph) wind gust was recorded at the Lovelock airport.
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, May 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: 168748, 168749, 168750.