A spring storm brought up to a foot of snow to portions of northern and central Nevada.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 spring storm brought up to a foot of snow to portions of northern and central Nevada.
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 Apr 7, 10:29 AM PST, 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 1129 AM PDT THU APR 7 2011 .SYNOPSIS...A WINTER-LIKE STORM SYSTEM WILL CROSS THE REGION TODAY AND LINGER THROUGH FRIDAY BRINGING MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH SNOW. TEMPERATURES WILL TRUDGE BACK CLOSER TO NORMAL BY SUNDAY WITH SHOWERS DIMINISHING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .UPDATE...ADJUSTED TEMPERATURES DOWN A FEW DEGREES ACROSS MOST OF NORTHERN NEVADA FOR TODAY AS CLOUD COVER AND SNOW SHOWERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO PREVENT MUCH WARMING THIS AFTERNOON. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED AT 1110 AM/ SYNOPSIS...A WINTER-LIKE STORM SYSTEM WILL CROSS THE REGION TODAY...AND LINGER THROUGH FRIDAY BRINGING MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH SNOW. TEMPERATURES WILL TRUDGE BACK CLOSER TO NORMAL BY SUNDAY WITH SHOWERS DIMINISHING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. AVIATION...COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO SLOWLY SHIFT SOUTHEAST TOWARD WHITE PINE COUNTY LATE THIS MORNING. CONVECTION HAS DEVELOPED IN ADVANCE OF THE COLD FRONT /SOUTH OF ELY/ AND IS MOVING NORTHEAST. ELSEWHERE IN WAKE OF THE FRONT...MVFR/IFR CIGS/VSBYS HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH BANDS OF SNOW AFFECTING KWMC/KEKO TERMINALS. EXPECT SNOW TO BECOME MORE SHOWERY IN NATURE WITH GENERALLY MVFR CONDITIONS AT KWMC/KEKO AND ALSO IN THE VICINITY OF KTPH INTO THIS AFTERNOON. IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN AT KELY IN ASSOCIATION WITH POST-FRONTAL SNOWFALL THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED AT 346 AM / SYNOPSIS...A WINTER-LIKE STORM SYSTEM WILL CROSS THE REGION TODAY...AND LINGER THROUGH FRIDAY BRINGING MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH SNOW. TEMPERATURES WILL TRUDGE BACK CLOSER TO NORMAL BY SUNDAY WITH SHOWERS DIMINISHING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY. MODERATE INSTABILITY IN THE BULK OF NORTHERN...CENTRAL...AND EASTERN NEVADA ALONG A DEVELOPING COLD FRONT WILL KEEP POPS HIGH AND PROVIDE FOR ISOLATED THUNDER IN MOST AREAS. WIDESPREAD SNOW SHOWERS WITH HIGH POPS OVER MOST AREAS TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY...UNTIL THE FRONT MOVES EAST AND AMS STABILIZES. MODEL SOUNDINGS SHOW FAIRLY LOW LCL'S WITH FORECAST CLOUD TOPS ABOUT 6-8K FEET ABOVE EQUILIBRIUM LEVELS. NOT SUPER HIGH CLOUD TOPS...BUT CAPE'S ARE ABOVE 200 TO AROUND 400 IN SOME AREAS..ESPECIALLY ALONG FRONT ITSELF. LITTLE TO NO CIN WITH THIS SYSTEM. TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT AND TIGHT GRADIENT ALOFT WITH JET STREAKS IN VICINITY OF CWA WILL KEEP WINDS GUSTY...BUT DO NOT EXPECT THEM TO REACH ADVISORY CRITERIA. AMPLE RH IS PROVIDING FOR SHRA/SN OR SNOW IN NORTHERN SECTIONS THIS MORNING AND THIS WILL CONTINUE TO WIDEN IT'S AREA OF INFLUENCE THROUGH THE DAY. HAVE ISSUED WWA FOR WHITE PINE COUNTY FROM 11 AM PDT TO 11 PM PDT TODAY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. OTHER AREAS WILL SEE ACCUMULATIONS BUT DO NOT BELIEVE AMOUNTS WILL REACH ADVISORY CRITERIA LEVELS...AT LEAST NOT IN WIDESPREAD AREAS. WOULD NOT RULE OUT ISOLATED PLACES WITH A FEW INCHES BY TONIGHT. ALL IN ALL...IT'S A WINTER SYSTEM IN NEARLY MID APRIL. THE UPPER TROF OVER THE WEST COAST DROPS SOUTH AND CLOSES OFF BEFORE BEGINNING TO MOVE EAST FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. TEMPS WILL DROP TO VERY MUCH BELOW NORMAL LEVELS FRIDAY AS FLOW TURN NORTH TO EVEN NORTH-NORTHEAST AND STREAMLINES BRING COLDEST AIR FROM ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS INTO GREAT BASIN. SOME WARMING WILL OCCUR ON SATURDAY AS RIDGE TRIES TO BUILD INTO AREA FROM WEST. HOWEVER...STILL SOME MOISTURE AROUND FOR CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS THEN. BB LONG TERM...SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. GFS AND ECMWF ARE IN RELATIVE AGREEMENT TO START...BUT BEGIN TO DIVERGE ON MONDAY...AND THEN GET RATHER FAR APART BY WEDNESDAY. TO START...THE DEEP CLOSED LOW IS MOVING AWAY SATURDAY NIGHT...WITH A RIDGE BUILDING IN SUNDAY. NEXT TROUGH STARTS MOVING IN MONDAY...BUT THE GFS IS FASTER THAN THE ECMWF. THEN THE ECMWF COMPLETELY DIVERGES WITH THE GFS BY TUESDAY NIGHT...AS THE EC BRINGS ANOTHER TROUGH SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE CWA...WHILE THE GFS HAS NOTHING LIKE THAT AND INSTEAD DEPICTS A BROAD BUT RATHER WEAK RIDGE ACROSS THE REGION. THUS...KEPT SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY DRY WITH THE RIDGE BUILDING IN. TEMPERATURES SHOULD REBOUND A BIT DURING THE DAY SUNDAY...BUT SHOULD REMAIN A TAD BELOW NORMAL IN MOST AREAS. BEGIN INCREASING POPS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST ON SUNDAY NIGHT...AND SPREAD THEM ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA ON MONDAY...BUT KEEP THEM RATHER LOW GIVEN UNCERTAINTY IN THE SPEED OF THE NEXT SYSTEM. ALSO GIVEN UNCERTAINTY IN TIMING...ONLY SLOWLY RAMP POPS BACK DOWN FROM WEST TO EAST ON MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. DID NOT BUY THE ECMWF DEPICTION OF ANOTHER TROUGH DIVING SOUTHEASTWARD TOWARD THE REGION FOR TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY YET...AND THUS KEPT POPS SUB- SLIGHT CHANCE. AGAIN GIVEN UNCERTAINTY...DIDN'T GO TOO FAR FROM CLIMO FOR HIGHS ON MONDAY...TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...THOUGH CERTAINLY ONE OF THOSE DAYS MAY BE SIGNIFICANTLY WARMER OR COLDER DEPENDING ON THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT. RCM AVIATION...COLD FRONT SLOWLY PUSHING SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE CWA TODAY WILL RESULT IN MVFR AND PERHAPS BRIEF IFR CIGS AND VIS DUE TO SNOW AT KEKO THIS MORNING...WITH SOME IMPROVEMENTS BY THIS AFTERNOON AS THE FRONT MOVES AWAY. MAIN PRECIP BAND IS ALREADY MOVING AWAY FROM KWMC AND SO CONDITIONS SHOULD BE IMPROVING THERE SHORTLY. PRECIP WILL HAVE TROUBLE REACHING KTPH AND THE ONLY REAL CONCERN THERE IS A GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WIND. KELY WILL SEE DETERIORATING CONDITIONS AS THE DAY WEARS ON WITH RAIN AND SNOW DEVELOPING...THEN CHANGING TO ALL SNOW...AND POSSIBLY BECOMING HEAVY FOR A TIME...AND LIFR OR EVEN VLIFR CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE FOR A BRIEF TIME. CONDITIONS SHOULD FINALLY START IMPROVING LATE TONIGHT AT KELY. COULD BE A STRAY LIGHTNING BOLT NEAR ANY OF THE TERMINALS THIS AFTERNOON...THOUGH MOST LIKELY NOT NEAR KTPH...BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOW AND SO HAVE NOT INCLUDED IN THE TAFS. RCM && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR WHITE PINE COUNTY. && 96/99
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 356 AM PDT THU APR 7 2011 NVZ013-030>034-036-037-081100- NORTHERN NYE COUNTY-HUMBOLDT COUNTY-NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY- SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY- EXTREME EASTERN ELKO COUNTY-RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE- NORTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND NORTHERN EUREKA COUNTY- SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN EUREKA COUNTY- 356 AM PDT THU APR 7 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NEVADA...NORTHEAST NEVADA...NORTHWEST NEVADA AND SOUTH CENTRAL NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE REGION TODAY...BRINGING RAIN AND SNOW WITH SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ON THE VALLEY FLOORS. WINDS WILL ALSO BE GUSTY...WITH SOME GUSTS POSSIBLY REACHING 40 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL LINGER FRIDAY BEFORE GRADUALLY DIMINISHING OVER THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. NVZ035-081100- WHITE PINE COUNTY- 356 AM PDT THU APR 7 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE REGION TODAY...BRINGING RAIN AND SNOW WITH MODERATE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ON THE VALLEY FLOORS. 2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED BELOW 6500 FEET IN WHITE PINE COUNTY...WITH 4 TO 6 INCHES ABOVE 6500 FEET...EXCEPT LOCALLY UP TO 10 INCHES ABOVE 7500 FEET. GUSTY WINDS...WHICH MAY REACH 40 MPH...MAY ALSO CAUSE SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING THROUGH 11 PM THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL LINGER FRIDAY BEFORE GRADUALLY DIMINISHING OVER THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. RCM/BB
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall totals ranged from 6 to 14 inches across White Pine county.|A snow observer in Ely reported 14 inches, McGill had 11 inches, Ruth had 8 inches, Lund, Lages Junction, and Great Basin National Park came in with 7 inches, and Moorman Ranch had 6 inches.
Eureka and Austin report 12 inches of new snow.
Over 8 inches of snow was reported at the Elko Weather Forecast Office and around 9 inches in Spring Creek.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, April 2011
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: 290987, 290989, 290985.