An intense and fast-moving system moved through Washington and Oregon on the 2nd and into Idaho on the 3rd. This resulted in strong winds for eastern California on the 2nd.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 REV wrote it up.
An intense and fast-moving system moved through Washington and Oregon on the 2nd and into Idaho on the 3rd. This resulted in strong winds for eastern California on the 2nd.
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 Apr 2, 2:15 PM PST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
315 PM PDT FRI APR 2 2010
.SHORT TERM...
FAST MOVING WEATHER SYSTEM CONTINUES THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA WHILE
PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS AND SIERRA SNOW...WHICH WILL PERSIST FOR MUCH
OF THE EVENING. WIND GUSTS OF 30-50 MPH BEING OBSERVED IN MOST AREAS
WITH LOCALLY STRONGER GUSTS IN WIND PRONE AREAS IN THE LEE OF THE
SIERRA. A STRONG SURFACE GRADIENT IS HELPING DRIVE THE WINDS WITH
MORE OF A TRAPPED WAVE PROFILE COMPARED TO A STANDING WAVE...WHICH
SHOULD PREVENT WIND GUSTS FROM GETTING TOO OUT OF HAND. UNTIL THE
COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH LATER THIS EVENING...WIND GUSTS UP TO
45-60 MPH WILL PERSIST...ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80. THE MAIN
PRECIP BAND IS CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL SIERRA AND
PRODUCING MODERATE SNOWS. THE TAHOE BASIN WILL SEE THE HIGHEST
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WHICH WILL LIKELY TOTAL 4-8" ABOVE 7000 FEET WITH
UP TO 3 OR 4 INCHES IN THE LOWEST VALLEYS AROUND TAHOE. LESSER
AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED FURTHER SOUTH TOWARD MONO COUNTY AS THE MAIN
PRECIP BAND GRADUALLY FRACTURES AND FALLS APART AS THE FRONT STALLS
FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL SIERRA TONIGHT. ONLY LIMITED
AMOUNTS OF PRECIP IS SPILLING OVER THE SIERRA DUE TO MUCH HIGHER
STABILITY AND DRIER LOWER LEVELS. DUE TO THE STRONG CROSS BARRIER
FLOW...SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL GET ADVECTED INTO THE HIGHWAY
395 CORRIDOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING BUT AMOUNTS SHOULD
REMAIN BELOW A 0.10" OR SO. THERE IS MUCH DRIER AIR THAT WILL MOVE
INTO THE REGION LATER TONIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT. THIS SHOULD BRING A
QUICK END TO SHOWER ACTIVITY BY AROUND MIDNIGHT AND ALLOW TEMPS TO
PLUMMET AS THE COLDER AND DRIER AIR BECOMES ESTABLISHED.
A MUCH QUIETER DAY IS EXPECTED SATURDAY AS HEIGHTS RISE BRIEFLY IN
ADVANCE OF ANOTHER FAST MOVING BUT WEAKER WAVE SATURDAY EVENING.
THIS SHOULD BRING ONLY A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT SHOWERS TO THE
SIERRA AND UP TOWARD THE OREGON BORDER ALONG WITH SOME INCREASES IN
CLOUD COVER. THE BIGGER WEATHER CONCERN WILL BE A COLD SYSTEM DUE TO
ARRIVE SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY. ANOTHER ROUND OF GUSTY WINDS
ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE REGION AS THE UPPER JET
BECOMES ESTABLISHED OVER THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL SIERRA. GUSTS OF
40-60 MPH SHOULD AGAIN BE ANTICIPATED. THIS LOOKS TO BE A FAIRLY
COLD STORM BUT PRECIPITABLE WATER AMOUNTS FEEDING IN AHEAD OF THE
COLD FRONT ARE A BIT ANEMIC AND ONLY UP TO AROUND 0.75". SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS OF OVER A FOOT OR MORE ARE LOOKING LIKELY IN THE SIERRA
ABOVE 7000 FEET DUE TO THE GOOD SNOW/LIQUID RATIOS BUT COULD BE MUCH
MORE IMPRESSIVE IF THE MOISTURE WAS BETTER. TAHOE SOUTH TO MONO
COUNTY WILL LIKELY RECEIVE THE HIGHEST PRECIP AMOUNTS AS THE SYSTEM
TRIES TO SPLIT AFTER MOVING INTO THE CA COAST. WITH 700MB TEMPS
DROPPING TO BELOW -10C SUNDAY NIGHT...THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR A FEW
INCHES OF SNOW IN WESTERN NV VALLEYS BY MONDAY MORNING...ESPECIALLY
SOUTH OF I-80. HIGH PRESSURE TO GRADUALLY BUILD BACK INTO THE WEST
COAST TUESDAY FOR WARMING AND DRYING. MILNE
.LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...
LITTLE CHANGE TO THE EXTENDED FORECAST. HIGHS WARMING TO AROUND
AVERAGE FOR EARLY APRIL BEFORE FALLING BACK OFF BY LATE WEEK AS A
STRONG COLD FRONT AND POSSIBLE PRECIPITATION APPROACHES THE REGION.
UPPER RIDGE WILL BE IN CHARGE THROUGH WEDNESDAY BEFORE SLOWLY
BREAKING DOWN INTO FRIDAY AS A LARGE UPPER LOW LOADS UP AND DROPS
SOUTH ALONG THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST. WITH A 10 DM STANDARD
DEVIATION IN THE 500 MB HEIGHTS ALONG THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST
BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON...THE TIMING OF THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD
FRONT IS UNDERSTANDABLY UNCERTAIN (THE UPPER FORCING/COLD AIR
ADVECTION WITH THE UPPER LOW DETERMINES THE MOVEMENT OF THE COLD
FRONT). THE GEFS HAS A 3-4C STANDARD DEVIATION IN THE 850 MB TEMPS
FRIDAY...ALTHOUGH THE DETERMINISTIC EC/GFS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT
WITH THE FROPA. FOR NOW I HAVE HIGHS MAINLY IN THE 50S TO LOWER 60S
FOR THE LOWER VALLEYS BUT THIS COULD BE EASED UP OR DOWN DEPENDING
ON THE FINAL FROPA TIMING. IN ANY CASE...IT WILL BE MUCH COOLER BY
NEXT WEEKEND.
AS FAR AS PRECIP CHANCES FRIDAY...MODELS DO NOT PUMP OUT MUCH PRECIP
BUT I WOULD SUSPECT SHOWERS WITH SUCH A COLD LOW (IF IT SETTLES
OVERHEAD). WITH UNCERTAINTY IN TROUGH POSITION AND TIMING...FOR NOW
I HAVE JUST INTRODUCED SOME MENTION OF PRECIP FOR MOST ZONES. SNYDER
&&
.AVIATION...
FOR KTVL AND KTRK...PERIOD OF MODERATE SNOW SHOULD BREAK TO MORE
PERIODIC SHOWERS AFTER 23Z...WITH KTRK RISING ABOVE INSTRUMENT MINS.
KTVL WILL HAVE MORE TROUBLE WITH SHOWERS AROUND AND AS MINS ARE SO
HIGH (5SM). AFTER 04Z...PRECIP SHOULD WANE TO JUST A FEW SHOWERS AS
MOISTURE SHALLOWS OUT RAPIDLY THIS EVENING.
FOR KRNO...VFR CIGS/VIS WITH MOST PRECIP STUCK IN THE FOOTHILLS AND
SIERRA. PRECIPITATION AND HIGHER MOISTURE NEAR AND WEST OF THE
TERMINAL HAS LIKELY DAMPENED OUT THE MOUNTAIN WAVES SO LLWS CHANCES
WITHIN 020 AGL HAVE DECREASED DRAMATICALLY...ESPECIALLY AS WIND
DIRECTION VARIATIONS AT THE LOW LEVELS APPEARS TO BE MINIMAL.
OBVIOUSLY...WITH GUSTY WINDS THERE COULD STILL BE A BUMPY RIDE ON
LANDING AND TAKEOFF INTO THIS EVENING BUT IT WILL BE DUE MORE TO
MECHANICAL MIXING THAN LLWS. SNYDER
&&
&&
.REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NV...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING
NVZ003.
WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING NVZ005.
WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING NVZ002.
WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING
NVZ001-004.
CA...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING
CAZ071-073.
WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING CAZ070.
WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING CAZ072.
&&
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RENOPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
149 PM PDT FRI APR 02 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0148 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 N RENO 39.61N 119.82W
04/02/2010 M59.00 MPH WASHOE NV OFFICIAL NWS OBS
59 MPH WIND GUST MEASURED AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE IN RENO, NV.
&&
MCGUIREPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
155 PM PDT FRI APR 02 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0155 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 7 SW RENO 39.47N 119.92W
04/02/2010 M78.00 MPH WASHOE NV MESONET
78 MPH WIND GUST MEASURED AT THE GALENA CREEK BRIDGE
SENSOR.
&&
MCGUIREPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
357 PM PDT FRI APR 02 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0357 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 N RENO 39.61N 119.82W
04/02/2010 M63.00 MPH WASHOE NV OFFICIAL NWS OBS
63 MPH WIND GUST MEASURED AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE IN RENO, NV.
&&
MCGUIREThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Mammoth-Yosemite Airport along highway 395 measured high wind gusts on the evening of the 2nd. Other wind gust observations in Mono County include: 145 mph atop Mt. Warren, 109 mph atop Mammoth Mountain, and 62 mph at the Mammoth Base Lodge.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in California, April 2010
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: 225771.