Dust Storm and High Wind in Nevada, November 20, 2009

Name: Dust Storm and High Wind in Nevada, November 20, 2009
Start: 2009-11-20T08:00
End: 2009-11-20T19:00
Location: Nevada

November 20, 2009 · NWS REV · 6 events in 5 counties and zones

A fast-moving storm brought widespread strong and damaging winds to western and west-central Nevada on November 20. There was also up to 3 inches of snowfall for portions of far western Nevada.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 7
Property damage: $90,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS REV wrote it up.

A fast-moving storm brought widespread strong and damaging winds to western and west-central Nevada on November 20. There was also up to 3 inches of snowfall for portions of far western Nevada.

What forecasters said that day

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 Nov 20, 4:44 AM PST, 3 hours 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 20, 4:44 AM PST, 3 hours 16 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
444 AM PST FRI NOV 20 2009

.SHORT TERM...
ALL WARNINGS ISSUED REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR TODAY...WITH WIND TO REMAIN
THE MAIN IMPACT UNTIL THE COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE REGION THIS
AFTERNOON. WINDS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO PICK UP OVER PARTS OF ERN CA
AND FAR WRN NV WITH GUSTS OVER 40 MPH. RIDGE LEVEL GUSTS HAVE
REACHED 70-90 MPH AT TIMES OVERNIGHT. RIDGE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO
INCREASE DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS...AND WILL EFFICIENTLY MIX DOWN
TO THE VALLEYS BY MID OR LATE MORNING. PEAK GUSTS OVER MOST AREAS
WILL OCCUR IN A 2-4 HOUR TIME FRAME AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. THIS
FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PASS THRU NERN CA-NWRN NV BTWN 18-21Z...THEN
REACH THE RENO-TAHOE AREAS BTWN 21-00Z. THE SOUTHERN END OF THE
FRONT SHOULD CLEAR SRN MINERAL-MONO COUNTIES BY 06Z THIS EVENING.

THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT WILL TRANSITION THE MAIN IMPACTS
FROM WIND TO PRECIPITATION AND POOR VISIBILITY...ESPECIALLY IN
THE SIERRA. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH AS SNOW INCREASES...BUT
REMAIN GUSTY. TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE HARD TO MEASURE WITH THE
PRESENCE OF THE WIND AND MAY FALL SHORT OF WARNING CRITERIA. THE
PERIOD OF POTENTIAL WHITEOUT CONDITIONS DURING A TYPICALLY BUSY
TRAVEL PERIOD WILL PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS OVER THE PASSES FOR A
FEW HOURS THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING. FOR THE RENO-CARSON
AREAS...RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW AROUND DUSK BUT LITTLE
ACCUMULATION...MAYBE UP TO AN INCH ABOVE 5000 FT MAINLY ON UNPAVED
SURFACES SINCE TEMPS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO FALL BELOW FREEZING UNTIL
AFTER THE PRECIP ENDS. THE MAIN TRAVEL HAZARD MAY BE ICY PATCHES
LATER TONIGHT ON UNTREATED ROAD SURFACES THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO DRY
OUT AS THE COLD AIR POURS IN.

THE PASSAGE OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROF WILL PRODUCE SOME ENHANCED
LIFT OVER NRN LASSEN COUNTY...SURPRISE VALLEY AND FAR NWRN NV LATER
THIS EVENING. THIS COULD YIELD AN INCH OR TWO OF ACCUMULATION AFTER
SNOW HAS LARGELY TAPERED OFF ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF ERN CA AND WRN
NV. THE FAST MOVEMENT OF THIS FEATURE WILL PROBABLY KEEP SNOW
AMOUNTS BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA...AND ALSO LEAD TO A RAPID DROP IN
WINDS OVERNIGHT.

THIS WEEKEND WILL BE CHILLY WITH MAX TEMPS MAINLY IN THE 40S EACH
DAY FOR MOST VALLEYS. ANOTHER WEAK SHORTWAVE WILL BRUSH ACROSS THE
NWRN US BY LATE SAT NIGHT AND SUNDAY AND BRING SOME INCREASED
WINDS MAINLY TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS...BUT PRECIP PROSPECTS ARE
LOOKING LESS PROMISING AS THE BEST MOISTURE AND DYNAMICS ARE
LIKELY TO REMAIN NORTH OF THE OREGON BORDER. AS A RESULT...PRECIP
CHANCES HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO SLGT CHC OVER THE TAHOE BASIN AND
MOST OF NERN CA-NWRN NV. MJD

.LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...

MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE WEST
MONDAY...AND THE AXIS SLOWLY PUSHING EAST THROUGH THURSDAY.  THIS
WILL BRING DRY CONDITIONS WITH A MINIMAL WARMING TREND TO THE LOWER
VALLEYS THROUGH WEDNESDAY DUE TO SUBSIDENCE INVERSION AND LIGHT
FLOW.  SIERRA WILL WARM FASTER DUE TO INCREASING TEMPERATURES ABOVE
THE INVERSION.

WITH THE RIDGE OVER THE WEST/GREAT BASIN...ENERGY FROM THE PACIFIC
SHOULD BE DEFLECTED NORTH OF THE AREA. TEMPERATURES IN THE NEVADA
VALLEYS SHOULD WARM BY LATE IN THE WEEK...IF THE RIDGE AXIS MOVES
EAST OF THE AREA ALLOWING THE WESTERLIES TO INCREASE AND MIX OUT
THE INVERSION.  BRONG

&&

.AVIATION...

TROUGH MOVING INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WILL BRING STRONG WINDS TO
THE AREA TODAY AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. SURFACE WINDS AT THE SIERRA
TERMINALS GUSTING 30-40 KTS...WITH RIDGE WINDS 50-70 KTS. THESE
WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THROUGH 21Z WHEN THE FRONT REACHES
THE AREA. PEAK WINDS AT THE SIERRA TERMINALS SHOULD REACH 45-50 KTS
WITH SIERRA RIDGE WINDS 70-80 KTS GUSTING TO 100-110 KTS. WIND OF
THIS MAGNITUDE WILL GENERATE MOUNTAIN WAVES AND MODERATE TO STRONG
TURBULENCE...ESPECIALLY DURING AN HOUR OR TWO BEFORE THE FRONT
HITS THE AREA AS THE FLOW TURNS PERPENDICULAR TO THE SIERRA.

OTHER CONCERN FOR THE SIERRA IS DECREASING CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY
DUE TO MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW.  SNOW SHOULD REACH THE SIERRA BY
21Z...WITH PERIODS OF IFR CONDITIONS LIKELY THRU 06Z THIS EVE. LIGHT
SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH 12Z SATURDAY AS CONDITIONS
SLOWLY IMPROVE ONCE THE FRONT PASSES.

FOR RENO...MAIN CONCERN IS THE WINDS. INITIALLY THE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST
DIRECTION WILL LIMIT STRENGTH OF MOUNTAIN WAVE AND ANY ROTORS NEAR
THE TERMINAL.  WINDS SHOULD INCREASE QUICKLY BETWEEN 14-18Z...WITH
STRONGEST WINDS (GUSTS 35-45 KTS) BETWEEN 18Z-23Z.  FRONT SHOULD HIT
THE TERMINAL NEAR 21Z (GIVE OR TAKE AN HOUR)...SHIFTING THE WINDS TO
THE WEST PRIOR TO THE FRONTAL PASSAGE.  THIS WILL BRING THE BEST
PERIOD FOR LLWS...ERRATIC SURFACE WINDS AND ROTORS NEAR THE
TERMINAL.  RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS AND MVFR CEILINGS SHOULD AFFECT THE
TERMINAL BEHIND THE FRONT 23Z-03Z...BUT NOT LOOKING FOR MUCH IN THE
WAY OF ACCUMULATION ON RUNWAYS.  BRONG

&&

.REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NV...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 1 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR NVZ002.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM PST THIS
     EVENING FOR NVZ002.

     HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM PST THIS
     AFTERNOON FOR NVZ003-005.

     HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM PST THIS
     EVENING FOR NVZ001.

     BLOWING DUST ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM PST THIS
     EVENING FOR NVZ004.

CA...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 1 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR CAZ071-072.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM PST THIS
     EVENING FOR CAZ071-072.

     HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM PST THIS
     AFTERNOON FOR CAZ070.

     HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM PST THIS
     EVENING FOR CAZ073.

&&

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RENO

In the hours before

Local storm report, Nov 20, 6:54 AM PST, 1 hour 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
654 AM PST FRI NOV 20 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0503 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 4 NE MOUNT ROSE SKI ARE 39.38N 119.83W
11/20/2009  M61.00 MPH       WASHOE             NV   MESONET

            MEASURED AT GALENA CREEK RAWS AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNT
            ROSE HIGHWAY.

0641 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 5 WSW GARDNERVILLE      38.91N 119.83W
11/20/2009  M80.00 MPH       DOUGLAS            NV   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

BRONG

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 high wind, 1 dust storm, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

When: November 20, 8:00 AM PST to 2:00 PM PST
Where: Greater Lake Tahoe Area forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: Buoy
Coordinates: 39.789, -119.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winds on Lake Tahoe were sustained at 40-50 mph. There were no other sites which reached high wind criteria, however Kahle Drive and Glenbrook Canyon NDOT sensors recorded 45 and 47 mph gusts, respectively (gusts that high are notable given that these observations were in at least partially-sheltered locations). Little Valley RAWS recorded a gust to 55 mph at 0838PST.

High Wind, Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area

When: November 20, 9:00 AM PST to 2:00 PM PST
Where: Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area forecast zone
Measured: 72 kt (83 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 39.511, -119.499 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There were an exceptionally numerous and widespread number of high wind reports with this storm. Here is a list of some of the highest reported gusts: 68 mph in the Carson Valley near Minden at 0920PST, 83 mph in southeast Reno at 0920PST and at the NWS in Reno at 1318PST, and 71 mph at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport at 1323PST.

The high winds caused damage (trees, fences, and power lines) and power outages throughout the area, including 2,780 people in Carson City. In addition, there were 4 flight cancellations and around a dozen flight delays at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport from 1300PST to 1500PST.

Dust Storm, Western Nevada Basin and Range

When: November 20, 10:00 AM PST to 5:00 PM PST
Where: Western Nevada Basin and Range forecast zone
Deaths: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Injuries: 0 direct, 7 indirect
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 39.927, -118.898 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Nevada Highway Patrol reported that, at 1218PST, near zero visibility caused a large accident on westbound Interstate 80 about 20 miles east of Fernley. The accident involved 4 tractor trailer rigs, 3 pickups, and an SUV and caused one fatality along with 7 injuries. Elsewhere, there were numerous trees and power lines down as well as major damage to one house in Fernley (due to fallen tree).

Here are some high wind gusts which contributed to the dust storm: Pyramid Lake Fisheries with 60 mph at 1045PST, Silver Springs AWOS with 70 mph at 1315PST, and the Fallon ASOS with 59 mph at 1344PST.

High Wind, Northern Washoe

When: November 20, 11:00 AM PST to 2:00 PM PST
Where: Northern Washoe forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS
Coordinates: 40.665, -119.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There were numerous high wind gust reports with this system. Catnip Mt. had 60 mph at 1144PST, Buffalo Creek recorded 62 mph at 1159PST, Juniper Springs had 59 mph at 1240PST, and Gerlach reported 61 mph at 1314PST.

High Wind, Mineral/Southern Lyon

When: November 20, 11:30 AM PST to 6:00 PM PST
Where: Mineral/Southern Lyon forecast zone
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 38.780, -118.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

According to the Mineral County Independent News in Hawthorne, there was a power outage from 1500PST to 2100PST as well as some windows broken in Hawthorne. A large part of a roof in Hawthorne was blown off.

Here are some high wind gusts from the region: Schurz with 64 mph at 1133PST, Yerington AWOS with 59 at 1315PST, Brawley Peak RAWS (8080 ft elevation) with 76 mph at 1447PST, and Hawthorne AWOS with 72 mph at 1458PST.

Winter Weather, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

When: November 20, 1:00 PM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where: Greater Lake Tahoe Area forecast zone
Reported by: SNOTEL
Coordinates: 39.789, -119.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Here are some snowfall amounts from November 20: Mt. Rose Ski Area with 8-10 inches, Big Meadow SNOTEL with an estimated 6-9 inches, and the Glenbrook CO-OP observer with 4 inches.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Dust Storm, Western Nevada Basin and Range	2009-11-20	52	Female	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Indirect

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Dust Storm: Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.
Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Nevada in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Nevada, November 2009

Sources

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: 200249, 200245, 200250, 200246, 200247, 200213.