A strong arctic front brought blizzard and near blizzard conditions and heavy snow to portions of northern Nevada. S.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 LKN wrote it up.
A strong arctic front brought blizzard and near blizzard conditions and heavy snow to portions of northern Nevada. U.S. Highway 93 between Wells and Jackpot was closed for about 6 hours due to blizzard conditions. The Nevada Highway Patrol reported 11 vehicle accidents between Battle Mountain and Wells due to the winter weather conditions.
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 Elko, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 23, 4:10 AM PST, 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 410 AM PST TUE NOV 23 2010 .SYNOPSIS...A POWERFUL WINTER STORM WILL BRING HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS TO MUCH OF THE REGION TODAY. TRAVEL WILL BE HAZARDOUS IN MANY AREAS. BITTERLY COLD AIR WILL FOLLOW THE STORM LATER TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...WITH RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES POSSIBLE. && .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY. POWERFUL SYSTEM DIVING SOUTHWARD STRAIGHT OUT OF WESTERN CANADA STILL ON TRACK TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. STILL EXPECTING A PERIOD OF VERY LOW VISIBILITY WITH HEAVY SNOW AND WINDS GUSTING UP TO 50 MPH AS THE ARCTIC FRONT PASSES...LIKELY DURING THE MID MORNING IN HUMBOLDT COUNTY AND NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY...THE LATE MORNING IN SOUTHWESTERN ELKO AND NORTHERN LANDER/EUREKA COUNTIES...THE EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHERN LANDER/EUREKA COUNTIES...AND MID TO LATE AFTERNOON ACROSS EXTREME EASTERN ELKO COUNTY AND WHITE PINE COUNTY. PLENTY OF DYNAMICS INCLUDING STRONG LOW LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS...SOME LIMITED CAPE...BRIEFLY NEGATIVE LI'S...STRONG UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE...AND STRONG JET SUPPORT. THE NEGATIVE AS FAR AS THIS BEING A HUGE SNOW MAKER IS THE FAIRLY LIMITED TIME DURING WHICH THE STEADY SNOW WILL BE OCCURRING. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OVERNIGHT WERE NOT AS MUCH AS EXPECTED...MAINLY DUE TO A STRONG THRUST OF LOW-LEVEL MILD AND DRY AIR WHICH ROSE TEMPERATURES UP INTO THE MID TO UPPER 30S IN MANY PLACES...AND DROPPED DEWPOINTS DOWN TO AROUND 20. THIS CAUSED THE WARM ADVECTION SNOW WHICH OCCURRED OVERNIGHT TO MOSTLY EVAPORATE AS IT FELL TO THE SURFACE...PARTICULARLY AROUND ELKO ITSELF. THUS...HAVE LOWERED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS ELKO COUNTY SOMEWHAT...MAINLY IN THE VALLEYS. OTHERWISE...STILL EXPECT TODAY'S EVENT TO BE QUITE MEMORABLE. SYSTEM RAPIDLY EXITS STAGE RIGHT THIS EVENING. BASED ON THE SPEED OF THE SYSTEM...THE START AND ESPECIALLY THE END TIMES OF THE VARIOUS WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES WERE ADJUSTED SOMEWHAT...AS ACCUMULATING SNOW SHOULD BE COMPLETELY CLEAR OF THE CWA BY 10 PM TONIGHT...AND IN SOME AREAS MUCH SOONER. AS FAR AS PRODUCTS GO...THE ONLY ITEM WHICH MAY STILL BE NEEDED IS A WIND ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN NYE COUNTY FOR THIS EVENING AFTER THE FRONT PASSES. CONFIDENCE IS NOT YET VERY HIGH SO HAVE NOT ISSUED IT JUST YET...BUT IT IS SOMETHING THE NEXT SHIFT WILL NEED TO LOOK AT HARD. COLD AIR SWARMS THE REGION BEHIND THE SYSTEM OVERNIGHT...WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING BELOW ZERO IN MANY AREAS. SOME CLOUDS AND PERHAPS A FEW SNOW SHOWERS WILL LINGER MAINLY ACROSS ELKO COUNTY LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY AS SOME UPPER LEVEL ENERGY MOVES THROUGH. TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL BE EXTREMELY COLD...BELOW -20C...ON WEDNESDAY...AND WITH THE ABUNDANT SNOW COVER WE EXPECT HIGHS TO REMAIN STUCK IN THE TEENS IN MANY LOCALES. COLDEST NIGHT LIKELY ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS WINDS GO CALM AND ALL REMAINING CLOUDS CLEAR OUT...AND LOWS MAY BE BELOW -10 IN MANY PLACES. THIS AIR MASS THREATENS TO BREAK RECORDS FOR THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES EVER RECORDED DURING THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER IN SOME PLACES...INCLUDING ELKO. WARM ADVECTION BEGINS ALOFT ON THURSDAY...SO TEMPERATURES SHOULD REBOUND INTO THE 20S IN MOST PLACES. HOWEVER...ACCOMPANYING THE WARM ADVECTION WILL ALSO BE SOME CLOUDS...MAINLY ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE CWA. NO PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED HOWEVER. RCM .LONG TERM...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT MONDAY. MODELS ARE IN DISAGREEMENT AND TIMING OF PRECIPITATION WITH NEXT STORM SYSTEM THIS WEEKEND WILL BE DIFFICULT. MODELS SEEM TO HOLD TOGETHER FOR A COUPLE PERIODS THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...SHOWING SHORT WAVE RIDGING OVER THE LKN CWFA...WHICH SHOULD BE UNEVENTFUL. TEMPERATURES SHOULD MODERATE A LITTLE OVER THE WEEKEND AS THE NEXT SYSTEM DROPS INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TO PROVIDE A HEALTHY SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT OVER THE GREAT BASIN. FRONTAL PASSAGE TIMING IS DIFFICULT TO ASSESS BUT SHOULD OCCUR DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEKEND AS THE TROUGH ENCOMPASSES ALL OF NEVADA. A FEW INCHES OF SNOW WILL RESULT FOR MOST AREAS AS ANOTHER COLD AIR MASS ENVELOPS THE REGION. THIS STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO EXIT MONDAY HOWEVER COLD AIR WILL CONTINUE TO PUMP INTO THE GREAT BASIN WITH A SUBSTANTIAL NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT KEEPING DAYTIME TEMPERATURES BELOW PAR. MADE ONLY MODEST CHANGES TO CURRENT FORECAST DUE TO INCONSISTENCIES WITHIN THE MODEL GROUP. LW && .AVIATION...KWMC ASOS REMAINS TEMPORARILY OUT OF COMMISSION AND AMD NOT SKED HAS BEEN APPENDED TO THE ROUTINE TAF. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE AREA TODAY BRINGING MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS. VLIFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT KWMC AND KEKO THIS MORNING AROUND SUNRISE AND LIFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT KELY AND KTPH THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE STORM SYSTEM WILL BE EXITING THE STATE OVERNIGHT. LW && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 1 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR HUMBOLDT COUNTY. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR EXTREME EASTERN ELKO COUNTY...WHITE PINE COUNTY. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR NORTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND NORTHERN EUREKA COUNTY...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY. BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 7 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN EUREKA COUNTY. && 93/92/92
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 348 AM PST TUE NOV 23 2010 NVZ031-034-241200- NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY-RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE- 348 AM PST TUE NOV 23 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A POWERFUL WINTER STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. A PERIOD OF HEAVY SNOWFALL...COMBINED WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH...WILL RESULT IN BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WITH WHITEOUT CONDITIONS ALONG WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM 4 TO 8 INCHES IN THE VALLEYS...AND 8 TO 12 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS. TRAVEL IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED. A BLIZZARD WARNING IS IN EFFECT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. BITTERLY COLD WEATHER WILL FOLLOW THE STORM FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. LOWS IN MANY LOCALES WILL BE BELOW ZERO ON WEDNESDAY MORNING AND THURSDAY MORNING...WITH HIGHS STRUGGLING TO EXCEED THE TEENS DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. NVZ030-032-036-241200- HUMBOLDT COUNTY-SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY- NORTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND NORTHERN EUREKA COUNTY- 348 AM PST TUE NOV 23 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NEVADA...NORTHEAST NEVADA AND NORTHWEST NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A POWERFUL WINTER STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. A PERIOD OF HEAVY SNOWFALL...COMBINED WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH...WILL RESULT IN GREATLY REDUCED VISIBILITY ALONG WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM 3 TO 6 INCHES IN THE VALLEYS...AND 8 TO 12 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS. TRAVEL IS NOT RECOMMENDED. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. BITTERLY COLD WEATHER WILL FOLLOW THE STORM FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. LOWS IN MANY LOCALES WILL BE BELOW ZERO ON WEDNESDAY MORNING AND THURSDAY MORNING...WITH HIGHS STRUGGLING TO EXCEED THE TEENS DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. NVZ033-035-037-241200- EXTREME EASTERN ELKO COUNTY-WHITE PINE COUNTY- SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN EUREKA COUNTY- 348 AM PST TUE NOV 23 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL NEVADA...NORTH CENTRAL NEVADA AND NORTHEAST NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A POWERFUL WINTER STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TODAY AND TONIGHT. A PERIOD OF SNOW...COMBINED WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH...WILL RESULT IN REDUCED VISIBILITY ALONG WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM 1 TO 4 INCHES IN THE VALLEYS...AND 4 TO 8 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS. TRAVEL WILL BE HAZARDOUS. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. BITTERLY COLD WEATHER WILL FOLLOW THE STORM FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. LOWS IN MANY LOCALES WILL BE BELOW ZERO ON WEDNESDAY MORNING AND THURSDAY MORNING...WITH HIGHS STRUGGLING TO EXCEED THE TEENS DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. RCM
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter storm, 2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds gusting between 40 and 50 mph along with moderate to heavy snow created near blizzard conditions.
Six to eight inches of snow along with winds gusting to 56 mph created whiteout conditions.
Winds gusting between 40 and 50 mph along with falling and blowing snow created near blizzard conditions.
U.S. Highway 93 between Wells and Jackpot was closed due to strong winds and snow creating hazardous driving conditions due to low visibility.
Moderate to heavy snow along with wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph created blizzard-like conditions. The Nevada Highway Patrol reported 11 vehicle accidents along Interstate 80 between Battle Mountain and Wells due to the weather.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, November 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: 262073, 262071, 262074, 262070, 262072.