Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Nevada, November 18 to 23, 2010

Name: Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Nevada, November 18 to 23, 2010
Start: 2010-11-18T01:00
End: 2010-11-23T15:00
Location: Nevada

November 18 to 23, 2010 · NWS REV · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

Very cold low pressure dropped south along the Pacific Northwest coast and into the northern Sierra between the 18th and the 21st followed by another low on the 23rd. This brought gusty winds and periods of snow to western Nevada, with periods of heavy snowfall in the Sierra.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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.

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 17, 9:36 PM PST, 3 hours 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 17, 9:36 PM PST, 3 hours 24 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
936 PM PST WED NOV 17 2010

.UPDATE...
WILL DO ANOTHER QUICK UPDATE TO ISSUE A LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR
TAHOE PRIOR TO THE WIND ADVISORY STARTING. WINDS AT THE BUOYS ARE
INCREASING RATHER QUICKLY NOW AND SHOULD BE IN THE 20-25 MPH RANGE
BY MIDNIGHT. MLF

&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 905 PM PST WED NOV 17 2010/

UPDATE...
DID A QUICK UPDATE THIS EVENING AS CLOUDS HAVE NOT STARTED
INCREASING AS FAST AS FORECAST AND THIS HAS ALLOWED TEMPS OVER THE
WRN NV BASINS TO FALL A BIT FASTER THAN FORECAST. SO DROPPED
OVERNIGHT LOWS A FEW DEGREES ZONE 4. CLOUDS SHOULD BEGIN TO
INCREASE LATER THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. WINDS IN VICINITY LAKE
TAHOE ARE NOW STARTING TO INCREASE...BUT WILL BE UP AND DOWN
OVERNIGHT BEFORE SOLIDLY INCREASING AHEAD OF UPPER TROF BY
MORNING. MLF

AVIATION UPDATE...
WILL DELAY ONSET OF LLWS JUST A BIT AS RADAR WINDS FROM KRGX DO
NOT SUPPORT IT YET BUT RIDGE TOPS WINDS ARE STARTING TO INCREASE.
THINK THE LLWS WILL START TO DEVELOP AROUND 18/08 UTC TO 18/09
UTC. MLF

PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 320 PM PST WED NOV 17 2010/

SHORT TERM...

.FIRST SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM OF THE SEASON ON ITS WAY...

HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE WEST COAST WILL GIVE WAY TO A STRONG COLD
TROUGH DROPPING OUT OF THE GULF OF ALASKA THIS WEEKEND. NOT MUCH IN
THE WAY OF PRECIPITABLE WATER...BUT WITH THE EXTREMELY COLD
TEMPERATURES EXPECTED FOR THE WEEKEND THE SNOW WILL BE LIGHT AND
POWDERY AND WON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM ACCUMULATING IN THE SIERRA.

BY THURSDAY...THE TROUGH WILL PUSH INTO THE PAC NW...WITH THE JET
DIPPING INTO OREGON. WINDS ALOFT WILL INCREASE SHARPLY...WITH 700MB
WINDS REACHING UP TO 55KTS BY THURSDAY MORNING IN NORTHERN CA/NV.
ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE SIERRA AND SIERRA FRONT FROM
RENO-TAHOE NORTHWARD FOR THURSDAY...WITH WINDS EXPECTED TO KICK IN
EARLY IN THE MORNING. STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO GUST NORTH OF
US-50... UP TO 50 MPH...WITH SOME WIND PRONE AREAS ALONG HIGHWAY 395
REACHING UP TO 60 MPH. SIERRA RIDGE GUSTS WILL REACH OVER 90 MPH AT
TIMES ON THURSDAY.

AS THE TROUGH DIPS FURTHER SOUTH ON FRIDAY...WE SHOULD SEE ANOTHER
ROUND OF WINDY CONDITIONS ON FRIDAY...THIS TIME MAINLY SOUTH OF
RENO-TAHOE. ANOTHER WIND ADVISORY FOR FRIDAY MAY BE NECESSARY.
LATEST GFS AND NAM BRING IN PRECIP TO THE NORTHERN SIERRA FRIDAY
EVENING...AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO NORTHERN CA/NV. PRECIP WILL
SPREAD DOWN INTO MONO COUNTY AND THE WESTERN NEVADA VALLEYS LATER
FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE FRONT PUSHES ACROSS THE AREA.

WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE SIERRA ZONES STARTING
FRIDAY NIGHT AND GOING THROUGH SUNDAY. WE SHOULD SEE A FEW BURSTS OF
HEAVIER PRECIP THROUGH THE WEEKEND...ASSOCIATED WITH THE EMBEDDED
SHORTWAVES MOVING THROUGH THE MAIN TROUGH. THIS WILL LIKELY CAUSING
SOME MAJOR TRAVEL IMPACTS TO MOST OF THE LOCAL AREA.

WITH THE VERY COLD AIR ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TROUGH...SNOW LEVELS
WILL COME DOWN QUICKLY ON FRIDAY NIGHT TO MOST VALLEY FLOORS. THE
ONLY EXCEPTION WILL BE THE LOWEST WESTERN NV VALLEYS NEAR
LOVELOCK...FALLON AND HAWTHORNE WHERE THEY WILL LIKELY SEE A
RAIN/SNOW MIX ON FRIDAY NIGHT-SATURDAY.

BY SATURDAY NIGHT...THE SECOND WAVE WILL COME THROUGH LOWERING SNOW
LEVELS TO ALL VALLEY FLOORS AND DUMPING ANOTHER ROUND OF HEAVY SNOW
IN THE SIERRA. WITH THE VERY COLD AIR MOVING IN SATURDAY
NIGHT...700MB TEMPS DIPPING TO -12C TO -14C...SNOW RATIOS WILL
INCREASE TO NEAR 20:1 IN THE SIERRA AND SNOW AMOUNTS WILL PILE UP
FAST. BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING SNOW TOTALS IN THE HIGH SIERRA ABOVE
TAHOE WILL END UP AROUND 2 TO 4 FEET...WITH AROUND 1 TO 2 FEET NEAR
LAKE LEVEL. THERE WILL BE SOME LESS SNOW DOWN INTO MONO
COUNTY...WITH AROUND 1 TO 2 FEET OF SNOW ABOVE 8000 FEET LIKELY.
WE'LL HAVE TO WATCH THE NEXT MODEL RUNS WITH RESPECT TO
MONO...BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE QPF TOTALS HAVE BEEN TRENDING HIGHER.

SNOW AMOUNTS IN THE LOWER WESTERN NV VALLEYS STILL HAVE SOME
UNCERTAINTY...BUT SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW LIKELY. IF MODELS CONTINUE
TO SHOW MORE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW SPILLING OVER INTO WESTERN
NV VALLEYS THIS WEEKEND...WE MAY NEED TO EXPAND THE WINTER STORM
WATCH INTO THE NV VALLEYS FOR SATURDAY NIGHT. SINCE THE BULK OF THE
SNOW IN THE WESTERN NV VALLEYS IS NOT EXPECTED UNTIL SATURDAY
NIGHT...WILL HOLD OFF ON A WATCH FOR THE RENO-CARSON CITY-MINDEN
AREA AT THIS TIME.  HOON

LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

AS THE RIDGE OVER SOUTHWEST AK PERSISTS...THE TROUGH OVER THE WEST
COAST WILL CONTINUE TO DROP SNOW ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH MONDAY
MORNING. THE LONGWAVE RIDGE WILL FINALLY BEGIN TO TREK SOUTHEAST
MONDAY WHICH WILL ENHANCE NORTH FLOW BRINGING DRIER AIR TO THE
REGION BREAKING UP THE SNOW AND GRANTING US A BRIEF REPRIEVE BY MONDAY
EVENING.

FOLLOWING THE WEEKEND SYSTEM...THERE IS SOME DISAGREEMENT AS TO
WHETHER OR NOT THE AREA WILL BE HIT WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF
PRECIPITATION TUESDAY. THE ECMWF DIGS A WELL AMPLIFIED SHORTWAVE
TROUGH ALONG THE FRONT SIDE OF THE APPROACHING RIDGE FROM AK. IN
THIS SOLUTION A WELL DEFINED...SATURATED FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE
REGION TUESDAY MORNING AND WOULD BE ANOTHER SOLID HIT OF SNOWFALL
FOR THE SIERRA AND WESTERN NV. THE GFS SOLUTION HOWEVER...SHOWS A
MUCH LESS AMPLIFIED SHORTWAVE WITH MOST OF THE DYNAMICS AND MOISTURE
WELL NORTHEAST OF OUR AREA. HAVE KEPT CHANCE TO SLIGHT CHANCE OF
PRECIP IN THE FORECAST THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT FOR NOW.

LONGWAVE RIDGE WILL THEN PROPAGATE SOUTHEAST FOR THE MIDDLE AND
END OF THE WEEK KEEPING NORTH FLOW AND COLD TEMPERATURES ACROSS
THE AREA. DRYING AND CLEARING WEDNESDAY AND BEYOND SUGGEST
TEMPERATURES IN THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS LIKELY WITH EXPECTED
SNOW COVER. LABELLE

AVIATION...

WINDS WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE AFTER 02Z THIS EVENING AT ALL TERMINALS
AS RIDGE WINDS GREATLY INCREASE DUE TO AN APPROACHING LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM. EXPECT LLWS OVERNIGHT THROUGH 15Z THURSDAY MORNING AS
STRONGER SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL THEN MIX TO THE SURFACE. MAX GUSTS OF
40KTS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING.

A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE SIERRA AND WESTERN
NV THIS WEEKEND. IT WILL LIKELY SNOW AT ALL TERMINALS SATURDAY AND
SUNDAY WITH PERIODS OF IFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE IN HEAVIER SNOW.
LABELLE

&&

.REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NV...WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM TO 7 PM PST THURSDAY NVZ002-003-005.

     WINTER STORM WATCH FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY
     AFTERNOON NVZ002.

     LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM PST THURSDAY FOR LAKE TAHOE IN
     NVZ002.

     LAKE WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM TO 7 PM PST THURSDAY FOR PYRAMID
     LAKE IN NVZ004.

CA...WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM TO 7 PM PST THURSDAY CAZ070>073.

     WINTER STORM WATCH FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY
     AFTERNOON CAZ071-072.

     WINTER STORM WATCH FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON
     CAZ073.

     LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM PST THURSDAY FOR LAKE TAHOE IN
     CAZ072.

&&

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RENO

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 strong wind, 1 winter storm, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area

When: November 18, 1:00 AM PST to November 19, 7:00 PM PST
Where: Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $100
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 39.511, -119.499 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Widespread gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred on the 18th and 19th ahead of a major winter storm. Local high wind gusts occurred in wind prone areas, including: 62 at the Washoe Valley NDOT site at 1300PST on the 18th, Galena RAWS with 72 mph at 0300PST on the 19th, and 61 mph at 0600PST on the 18th.

Winter Storm, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

When: November 19, 10:00 PM PST to November 21, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Greater Lake Tahoe Area forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 39.789, -119.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

This slow moving storm brought an average of 18 to 30 inches of snowfall in two periods, one from the evening of the 19th to the morning of the 20th and another period about 24 hours later. In addition to snowfall, gusty winds occurred on the 18th and 19th ahead of the main snowfall with strong ridge winds continuing into the 20th. Local high wind gusts occurred, with 66 mph at Little Valley at 1200PST on the 18th. Meanwhile, Slide Mountain (9650 ft) gusted to 100 mph at 1440PST on the 18th.

Strong Wind, Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area

When: November 22, 7:00 PM PST to November 23, 4:00 AM PST
Where: Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 39.511, -119.499 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Widespread wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph occurred, especially from late evening on the 22nd through early morning on the 23rd. Isolated high wind gusts occurred in wind prone areas including: Galena RAWS with 65 mph, Five Mile Flat NDOT and the National Weather Service office with 66 mph, and Washoe Valley NDOT with 62 mph. Two power outages due to downed power lines were reported in the Sparks Tribune.

Strong Wind, Mineral/Southern Lyon

When: November 23, 1:00 AM PST to 8:00 AM PST
Where: Mineral/Southern Lyon forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $100
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 38.780, -118.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Widespread gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred early on the 23rd. Brief and isolated high wind gusts occurred at the Walker Lake RAWS between 0300PST and 0424PST, with a 67 mph gust at 0424PST.

Heavy Snow, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

When: November 23, 1:00 AM PST to 3:00 PM PST
Where: Greater Lake Tahoe Area forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 39.789, -119.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A widespread 10 to 16 inches of snow fell in 12 to 14 hours with this system. Gusty winds after the main snowfall caused blowing of snow which made some measurements difficult. Here are some specific snowfall totals: Mt. Rose with an estimated 20 inches, Daggett Pass with 16 inches, Incline Village with 15 inches, and Glenbrook with 10 inches.

What these are

Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Nevada in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in Nevada, November 2010

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: 269156, 269234, 269334, 269345, 269436.