Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Nevada, December 17 to 20, 2010

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
451 AM PST FRI DEC 17 2010

.UPDATE...
12Z KREV SOUNDING SHOWED NEARLY SATURATED PROFILE WITH ISOTHERMAL
LAYER DEVELOPING FROM SFC-650MB. THERE HAVE BEEN SURFACE
OBSERVATIONS INDICATING LIGHT SNOW ALREADY AND RADAR LOOPS SHOW
PRECIPITATION EXPANDING OVER CA AND HEADING TOWARD THE SIERRA AND
WESTERN NV. IN ADDITION THE 06Z GFS HAS COME IN FASTER WITH
DEEPENING ISENTROPIC LIFT AND ASSOCIATED QPF WHICH IS IN LINE WITH
THE 00Z ECMWF. MOVED UP THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES FOR WESTERN
NV TO INCLUDE THIS MORNING. SNOW IS GOING TO REMAIN LIGHT FOR A
COUPLE OF HOURS BUT SHOULD PICK UP BY MID MORNING. ROAD CONDITIONS
ON THE LOWER VALLEY FLOORS WILL DEPEND HEAVILY UPON ONSET OF
ACCUMULATING SNOW AS INSOLATION AND TRAFFIC WILL WORK TO MITIGATE
ACCUMULATION ON THE MORE TRAVELED ROUTES. FOOTHILLS AND AREA
PASSES WILL BE SLICK AND HAZARDOUS ONCE SNOW BEGINS. UPDATES OUT
SHORTLY. HOHMANN

&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 300 AM PST FRI DEC 17 2010/

SHORT TERM...
VERY TRICKY FORECAST FOR THE NEXT 24 HRS...ESPECIALLY FOR RENO-
CARSON AREA IN THE WARM AIR ADVECTION PATTERN AND OVERALL THE
FIRST WAVE. SNOW WILL DEVELOP IN THE SIERRA TODAY AND CONTINUE
THROUGH TONIGHT. SNOW LEVELS WILL STRUGGLE TO RISE OFF VALLEY
FLOORS UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT. EXPECT THEM TO GET UP TO AROUND 5500
FEET IN NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA...TO NEAR 7000 FEET TAHOE AND 7500-8000
FEET MONO BY SATURDAY MORNING. QPF TOTALS THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING
OF 2-3 INCHES NEAR THE SIERRA CREST AND 1-2 INCHES AT LAKE LEVEL TO
JUST WEST OF 395 CORRIDOR. FURTHER EAST INTO WRN NV...TOTALS OF 1/4
TO 1/2 INCH EXCEPT AROUND A TENTH IN MINERAL COUNTY. MOST OF THIS
WILL FALL AS SNOW. WITH GENERAL AMOUNTS OF 1-3 FEET IN THE SIERRA
ALTHOUGH THERE WILL BE A FEW AREAS THAT SEE ONLY A FEW INCHES BUT
WARNINGS LOOK GOOD.

FOR WRN NV...THINGS ARE A BIT MORE PROBLEMATIC. COULD SEE A BRIEF
PERIOD OF SNOW THIS MORNING RIGHT AROUND MORNING RUSH...BUT NOT
SURE ABOUT IT. THEN DURING THE AFTERNOON/EVENING...WHILE H7 TEMPS
RISE TO NEAR -3C...NEAR SURFACE TEMPS WILL REMAIN COLD. BIGGEST
PROBLEM IS CHANGEOVER FROM SNOW TO RAIN AND WHEN IT WILL OCCUR.
EXPECT A LOW STRATUS DECK OVER THE AREA AT THIS TIME TO PERSIST
ALL DAY LIMITING HEATING. LOW TEMPS TONIGHT ONLY IN THE UPPER 20S
ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. INITIALLY THOUGHT THIS WOULD RESULT IN A
RAPID CHANGEOVER BELOW 5000 FEET. HOWEVER...LOVELOCK ONLY WARMED
FROM 27 TO 33 YESTERDAY. GIVEN THAT AND THE WEAKEST INSOLATION DUE
TO WINTER SOLSTICE ONLY A FEW DAYS AWAY...BELIEVE WE WILL NOT WARM UP
THAT MUCH EITHER. LITTLE MIXING DURING THE DAY AS H7 WINDS ARE 25
KTS OR LESS AND DONT INCREASE UNTIL AFTER 06Z. ALSO...THERE IS A
STRONG EAST SURFACE GRADIENT WHICH ALSO LIMITS WARMING.

SO...EXPECT A NEAR ISOTHERMAL TEMP PROFILE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING WITH CHANGEOVER AROUND 7 PM-MIDNIGHT ON VALLEY FLOORS AND
SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT AROUND 5-6000 FEET. WITH THE SNOW IMPACTING
THE EVENING RUSH...AND IT IS THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL BEFORE WINTER
BREAK...THOUGHT THE SNOW ADVISORY PRUDENT. OVERALL...THINKING 1-3
INCHES BELOW 5000 FEET AND 2-4 INCHES ABOVE...A LOW END EVENT.
LOWEST FLOORS BELOW 4500 FEET INCLUDING THE RENO AIRPORT LIKELY TO
BE 1/2 TO 1 INCH OF WET SNOW BUT SNOW TO HAVE AN EASIER TIME
STICKING ONCE ABOVE 4600 FEET INCLUDING CARSON CITY. FURTHER NORTH
AND EAST...BELIEVE IT WILL TAKE LONGER TO CHANGEOVER. PERSHING
COUNTY LOOKS GOOD FOR 1-3 INCHES AFFECTING I-80 CORRIDOR BEFORE
CHANGE OVER DURING THE EARLY MORNING HRS ON SATURDAY. CEDARVILLE AND
GERLACH...MORE LIKE 2-4 INCHES AS WARM AIR REALLY STRUGGLES TO MAKE
IT THAT FAR NORTH WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. ADVISORIES FOR THESE
AREAS LOOK GOOD.

AFTER EXTREME WRN NV NEAR AND SOUTH OF I-80 CHANGE TO RAIN BLO
6500 FEET AFTER MIDNIGHT...COULD SEE A QUICK BURST OF RAIN AHEAD
OF THE COLD FRONT. STILL...THINK AMOUNTS WILL BE AT MOST 3/4 INCH
IN THE FOOTHILLS WITH 1/4 INCH ELSEWHERE SO ANY FLOOD POTENTIAL IS
SEVERELY LIMITED.

GOING INTO SATURDAY...IT APPEARS THERE WILL BE A BIT OF A BREAK
FOR WRN NV AS THE COLD FRONT WITH THE FIRST WAVE PUSHES THROUGH.
WINDS WILL BE A CONCERN AS MID-LEVEL MOISTURE DRIES OUT TO
SIGNIFICANTLY LIMIT ANY SPILLOVER. MODELS DO SUGGEST A PERIOD OF
HIGH WINDS WITH H7 SPEEDS AT 60 KTS. THERE IS A BIT OF A CRITICAL
LEVEL TRYING TO DEVELOP BUT IT IS A BIT STABLE RIGHT ABOVE WHICH
COULD LIMIT MIXING OF THE VERY STRONG WINDS ALOFT. STILL...HIGH
WIND WATCHES LOOK GOOD AND EVEN IF WE JUST MIX THE 700 WIND TO THE
SURFACE...GUSTS TO 70 MPH ARE POSSIBLE.

AS FOR THE SIERRA...THEY WILL SEE INCREASED WINDS AS WELL WITH
RIDGES GUSTING OVER 100 MPH. PRECIP WILL CONTINUE NEAR AND A BIT
EAST OF THE CREST...BUT IT WILL NOT BE AS HEAVY. SNOW LEVELS WILL
ALSO FALL BACK TO 4-4500 FEET NORTH OF SUSANVILLE TO 5500 FEET
RENO-TAHOE AND 6500 FEET IN MONO-MINERAL BEHIND THE FRONT. THIS
WILL CHANGE MOST PRECIP BACK TO SNOW IN THE SIERRA BUT
ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIGHTER AS WE WILL BE BETWEEN SIGNIFICANT
WAVES. WALLMANN

EXPECT PRECIP TO INCREASE AGAIN SUNDAY AS ANOTHER QUICK MOVING
SHORTWAVE ROUNDS THE BASE OF THE PARENT UPPER LOW OFF THE PAC NW
COAST. UPSLOPE FLOW WILL INITIALLY BE THE MAIN FORCING WHICH WILL
LIMIT MOST OF THE PRECIP TO THE SIERRA DURING THE MORNING HOURS.
PRECIP WILL THEN INCREASE IN INTENSITY AND SPREAD INTO WESTERN
NEVADA SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS THE SHORT WAVE MOVES INLAND
AND A 160 KT UPPER JET MAX MOVE OVERHEAD. MODELS ARE ADVERTISING AN
ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES (LIQUID EQUIVALENT) OVER THE SIERRA ON
SUNDAY...LOCALLY UP TO 3 INCHES ALONG THE CREST...AND 0.25 TO 0.50
INCH ALONG THE 395 CORRIDOR AND AREAS NORTH OF A SUSANVILLE/GERLACH
LINE. SNOW LEVELS COULD BRIEFLY INCREASE TO AROUND 5500 FEET NORTH
OF SUSANVILLE TO 6500 FEET RENO-TAHOE TO 7500 FEET MONO-MINERAL
EARLY SUNDAY MORNING BEFORE CRASHING DOWN TO MANY VALLEY FLOORS BY
SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WINTER STORM WARNINGS WILL PROBABLY
NEED TO BE EXTENDED INTO SUNDAY NIGHT OR EARLY MONDAY MORNING. WILL
PROBABLY NEED TO ADD ZONES 5/70 TO THAT WARNING AS WELL AS HEAVY
SNOW IS LOOKING MORE LIKELY FOR AREAS NORTH OF SUSANVILLE/GERLACH.
WITH SNOW LEVEL DROPPING TO VALLEY FLOORS...COULD POTENTIALLY SEE
ENOUGH ACCUMULATIONS SUNDAY EVENING/NIGHT TO WARRANT WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORIES FOR RENO-CC AS WELL. GIVEN THE QPF AMOUNTS MENTIONED
EARLIER...AN ADDITIONAL 1-2 FEET OF SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE IN THE
SIERRA ABOVE LAKE LEVEL ON SUNDAY WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ALONG
THE CREST AND IN MONO COUNTY. AMOUNTS AT LAKE LEVEL ARE A BIT MORE
UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME AS IT APPEARS SNOW LEVELS WILL BE JUST ABOVE
LAKE LEVEL FOR PART OF THE DAY. SCV

LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...
LARGE SCALE BLOCKING PATTERN TO PERSIST FROM THE EAST PACIFIC ACROSS
NORTH AMERICA WITH ANOMALOUS UPPER LOW (500MB HGTS 3-4 SDEV BELOW
NORMAL) CENTERED OFF THE PACNW COAST DURING PERIOD. SHORTWAVE ENERGY
WILL BE ROTATING THROUGH MEAN TROUGH AND INTO THE WEST COAST WITH
ABUNDANT MOISTURE ACCOMPANYING EACH SYSTEM. WEEKEND SYSTEM WILL BE
EXITING MONDAY MORNING ALTHOUGH THE GFS/GEM ARE A BIT SLOWER AND
LINGER DEEPER MOISTURE AND MORE PRONOUNCED QPF IN THE MORNING WHEN
COMPARED TO THE ECMWF. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE DOWN TO THE LOWER VALLEY
FLOORS AND TRAVEL FROM THE SIERRA DOWN INTO WESTERN NV COULD BE
CHALLENGING AT LEAST FOR THE FIRST HALF OF MONDAY. OTHERWISE A
RELATIVE CALM IN THE STORM MON AFTERNOON/NIGHT WITH BEST CHANCE OF
SNOW IN THE SIERRA WHERE MOIST WEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH INTO
THE WEST SLOPES AND OVER THE TOP.

MODELS ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT AT LEAST WITH THE TIMING OF NEXT
SHORTWAVE TUE-WED. MAIN UPPER LEVEL JET AND PWAT PLUME AT APPROACH
OF SYSTEM TUE IS NOTICEABLY FURTHER SOUTH THAN THE WEEKEND SYSTEM
AND MODEL QPF IS FAVORING THE SOUTHERN SIERRA INTO SOUTHERN CA AS
FEATURE AMPLIFIES AND MOVES INLAND TUE NIGHT THROUGH WED. THIS WILL
HAVE A TENDENCY TO KEEP SNOW LEVELS DOWN FOR THE TAHOE BASIN
NORTHWARD ALTHOUGH SNOW LEVELS MAY BRIEFLY POP UP TO AROUND 7500
FEET IN THE TAHOE BASIN TUE EVENING. FURTHER SOUTH IN MONO
COUNTY...SNOW LEVELS WILL RISE TO AROUND 7500 FEET AND STAY THERE A
BIT LONGER TUE NIGHT. ACROSS NORTHEAST CA/NORTHWEST NV...SNOW LEVELS
WILL BE CONSIDERABLY LOWER AND THERE MAY BE SOME ISSUES WITH
SNOWFALL...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE OREGON BORDER. WHILE THIS SYSTEM IS
NOT LOOKING QUITE AS WARM AS IN PREVIOUS DAYS...IT WILL STILL
PRODUCE VERY HEAVY WET SNOW FOR THE SIERRA AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IN
THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. SOILS WILL BE SATURATED AT THIS POINT WITH WET
ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE TO SMALL STREAM AND URBAN FLOODING
WHERE HEAVY RAIN DOES OCCUR. ALSO IT MUST BE NOTED THAT THIS SYSTEM
IS STILL 4 TO 5 DAYS OUT AND THE DETAILS CAN STILL CHANGE.
INCREASING WIND PROFILES AND SURFACE GRADIENTS WILL LIKELY BRING
ANOTHER ROUND OF GUSTY WINDS TUE NIGHT INTO WED.

BEYOND THE TUE-WED SYSTEM...MODEL BEGIN TO DIVERGE WITH THE GFS
BACKING OFF ON UPSTREAM SYSTEM AND KEEPING FRONT/PRECIPITATION BAND
ANCHORED TO THE CASCADES. THE GEFS ALSO CONCENTRATES QPF MORE TO THE
PACNW LATE IN THE WEEK. THE ECMWF ON THE OTHER HAND BRINGS ANOTHER
FAST MOVING SHORTWAVE THROUGH THE FLOW WITH ONGOING POPS AND IS
SUPPORTED BY THE GEM. SO MAINTAINED CLOUDS AND ABOVE CLIMO MENTION
OF POPS THU. HOHMANN

AVIATION...
MAIN INITIAL CONCERN WILL BE WARM AIR ADVECTION ALOFT AND INCREASING
BAND OF PRECIPITATION OVER THE SIERRA AND WESTERN NV TODAY. SURFACE
TEMPERATURES REMAIN BELOW FREEZING IN ALL AREAS WITH A THICK STRATUS
DECK AND PATCHES OF LIGHT SNOW ALREADY DEVELOPING. MODEL SOUNDINGS
MAINTAIN A SNOW PROFILE TODAY BEFORE SNOW LEVELS BEGIN TO RISE
OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. INCREASING WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL BRING WET
AND UNSETTLED CONDITIONS TO THE AREA THIS WEEKEND.

SNOW WILL KEEP AIRPORTS NEAR OR BELOW MINIMUMS AT SIERRA TAF SITES
THROUGH MUCH OF THIS WEEKEND WITH SNOW LEVELS ONLY BRIEFLY RISING
ABOVE KTVL/KTRK RUNWAYS SUNDAY MORNING. SO ASIDE FROM MT OBSCURATION
AND LOW CIGS/VSBYS...THESE AIRPORTS CAN EXPECT SIGNIFICANT SNOW
ACCUMULATION AND LONG DURATION CLOSURES.

FOR KRNO...LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP THIS MORNING WITH CIGS/VSBYS
LOWERING TO NEAR OR BELOW INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULE LEVELS AT TIMES BY
THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING INTO THIS EVENING(PRIOR TO SNOW MIXING
WITH AND/OR TURNING OVER TO RAIN BY DAYBREAK SAT). HIGHER TERRAIN
WILL REMAIN OBSCURED. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF ONE OR TWO INCHES
OF SNOW ACCUMULATION ALTHOUGH DAYLIGHT AND SURFACE TEMPERATURES
CLOSE TO FREEZING MAY MITIGATE THIS SOME. MAIN PROBLEM WOULD BE
AFTER SUNSET. OTHERWISE INCREASING GRADIENTS LATE TONIGHT INTO SAT
WILL RESULT IN WINDY CONDITIONS AND GUSTS APPROACHING 40KT AT TIMES.
HOHMANN

&&

.REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NV...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 AM PST SATURDAY
     NVZ005.

     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST SUNDAY NVZ002.

     HIGH WIND WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON
     NVZ001-003.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT PST TONIGHT NVZ003.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM PST SATURDAY NVZ004.

CA...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 4 PM PST SUNDAY ABOVE
     5500 FEET FOR CAZ071.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 AM PST SATURDAY
     CAZ070.

     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST SUNDAY ABOVE 7500 FEET FOR
     CAZ073.

     HIGH WIND WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON
     BELOW 7500 FEET FOR CAZ073.

     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST SUNDAY CAZ072.

&&

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RENO

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
553 AM PST FRI DEC 17 2010

CAZ070>073-NVZ001>005-180000-
SURPRISE VALLEY CALIFORNIA-LASSEN-EASTERN PLUMAS-
EASTERN SIERRA COUNTIES-GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA-MONO-
MINERAL AND SOUTHERN LYON COUNTIES-GREATER RENO-CARSON CITY-
MINDEN AREA-WESTERN NEVADA BASIN AND RANGE INCLUDING PYRAMID LAKE-
NORTHERN WASHOE COUNTY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CEDARVILLE...EAGLEVILLE...
FORT BIDWELL...PORTOLA...SUSANVILLE...WESTWOOD...SIERRAVILLE...
LOYALTON...SOUTH LAKE TAHOE...TAHOE CITY...TRUCKEE...
MARKLEEVILLE...BRIDGEPORT...COLEVILLE...LEE VINING...
MAMMOTH LAKES...HAWTHORNE...YERINGTON...SMITH VALLEY...MINA...
SCHURZ...GLENBROOK...INCLINE VILLAGE...SPARKS...VERDI...
GARDNERVILLE...VIRGINIA CITY...FERNLEY...FALLON...LOVELOCK...
SILVER SPRINGS...NIXON...IMLAY...EMPIRE...GERLACH
553 AM PST FRI DEC 17 2010

...COMPLEX WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE REGION THIS WEEKEND...

AN IMPRESSIVE WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT THE REGION TODAY THROUGH
SUNDAY WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND SNOW AS A STRONG JET STREAM
PUSHES ABUNDANT PACIFIC MOISTURE INTO THE REGION.

THE MAIN IMPACT OF THIS EVENT WILL LIKELY BE PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW
AND GUSTY WINDS IN THE SIERRA. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT AT MOST
VALLEY FLOORS TODAY THEN RISE OVERNIGHT WITH SNOW LEVELS PEAKING
AROUND 6000 FEET NORTH OF SUSANVILLE...TO AROUND 7000 IN THE LAKE
TAHOE BASIN AND UP TO 8000 FEET IN THE SIERRA OF MONO COUNTY. SNOW
LEVELS WILL CONTINUE TO FLUCTUATE SOME THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING THEN
DROP BACK TO VALLEY FLOORS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

WEEKEND STORM TOTAL PRECIPITATION VALUES HAVE NOT CHANGED FOR THIS
EVENT...WITH 2 TO 4 INCHES OF LIQUID PRECIPITATION EXPECTED IN THE
SIERRA WITH OVER 6 INCHES POSSIBLE AT THE CREST. UP TO AN INCH
OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE IN WESTERN NEVADA...WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS OF 2
INCHES OR MORE IN THE FOOTHILLS ALONG THE SIERRA FRONT. WITH THE
OVERALL LOWER SNOW LEVELS...THIS TRANSLATES TO LESS HIGH ELEVATION
RAIN AND MUCH MORE SNOW...WITH SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE IN
THE SIERRA.

IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW...THERE WILL BE STRONG WINDS EARLY
SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON IN THE LEE OF THE SIERRA.
SURFACE GUSTS UP TO 70 MPH ARE POSSIBLE EAST OF THE CREST WHILE
SURFACE GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH POSSIBLE IN THE LAKE TAHOE BASIN. RIDGE
GUSTS WILL LIKELY BE OVER 100 MPH DURING THIS EVENT.

PLEASE REFER TO THE WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS ON OUR WEBSITE FOR FURTHER
DETAILS.

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RENO

LABELLE/SCV

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
554 AM PST FRI DEC 17 2010

CAZ070>073-NVZ001>005-180000-
SURPRISE VALLEY CALIFORNIA-LASSEN-EASTERN PLUMAS-
EASTERN SIERRA COUNTIES-GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA-MONO-
MINERAL AND SOUTHERN LYON COUNTIES-GREATER RENO-CARSON CITY-
MINDEN AREA-WESTERN NEVADA BASIN AND RANGE INCLUDING PYRAMID LAKE-
NORTHERN WASHOE COUNTY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CEDARVILLE...EAGLEVILLE...
FORT BIDWELL...PORTOLA...SUSANVILLE...WESTWOOD...SIERRAVILLE...
LOYALTON...SOUTH LAKE TAHOE...TAHOE CITY...TRUCKEE...
MARKLEEVILLE...BRIDGEPORT...COLEVILLE...LEE VINING...
MAMMOTH LAKES...HAWTHORNE...YERINGTON...SMITH VALLEY...MINA...
SCHURZ...GLENBROOK...INCLINE VILLAGE...SPARKS...VERDI...
GARDNERVILLE...VIRGINIA CITY...FERNLEY...FALLON...LOVELOCK...
SILVER SPRINGS...NIXON...IMLAY...EMPIRE...GERLACH
554 AM PST FRI DEC 17 2010

...COMPLEX WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE REGION THIS WEEKEND...

AN IMPRESSIVE WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT THE REGION TODAY THROUGH
SUNDAY WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND SNOW AS A STRONG JET STREAM
PUSHES ABUNDANT PACIFIC MOISTURE INTO THE REGION.

THE MAIN IMPACT OF THIS EVENT WILL LIKELY BE PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW
AND GUSTY WINDS IN THE SIERRA. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT AT MOST
VALLEY FLOORS TODAY THEN RISE OVERNIGHT WITH SNOW LEVELS PEAKING
AROUND 6000 FEET NORTH OF SUSANVILLE...TO AROUND 7000 IN THE LAKE
TAHOE BASIN AND UP TO 8000 FEET IN THE SIERRA OF MONO COUNTY
SATURDAY MORNING. SNOW LEVELS WILL CONTINUE TO FLUCTUATE SOME
THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING THEN DROP BACK TO VALLEY FLOORS SUNDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

WEEKEND STORM TOTAL PRECIPITATION VALUES HAVE NOT CHANGED FOR THIS
EVENT...WITH 2 TO 4 INCHES OF LIQUID PRECIPITATION EXPECTED IN THE
SIERRA WITH OVER 6 INCHES POSSIBLE AT THE CREST. UP TO AN INCH
OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE IN WESTERN NEVADA...WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS OF 2
INCHES OR MORE IN THE FOOTHILLS ALONG THE SIERRA FRONT. WITH THE
OVERALL LOWER SNOW LEVELS...THIS TRANSLATES TO LESS HIGH ELEVATION
RAIN AND MUCH MORE SNOW...WITH SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE IN
THE SIERRA.

IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW...THERE WILL BE STRONG WINDS EARLY
SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON IN THE LEE OF THE SIERRA.
SURFACE GUSTS UP TO 70 MPH ARE POSSIBLE EAST OF THE CREST WHILE
SURFACE GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH POSSIBLE IN THE LAKE TAHOE BASIN. RIDGE
GUSTS WILL LIKELY BE OVER 100 MPH DURING THIS EVENT.

PLEASE REFER TO THE WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS ON OUR WEBSITE FOR FURTHER
DETAILS.

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RENO

LABELLE/SCV