A strong low pressure system brought strong winds gusting up to 66 mph across southern Lander and southern Eureka counties.
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 LKN wrote it up.
A strong low pressure system brought strong winds gusting up to 66 mph across southern Lander and southern Eureka counties.
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 Mar 20, 2:53 AM PST, 10 hours 37 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 353 AM PDT SUN MAR 20 2011 .SYNOPSIS...VERY STRONG WINDS WILL BLOW ACROSS NORTHERN NEVADA TODAY AS A STRONG AND MATURE STORM SYSTEM PUSHES ACROSS THE WEST. SNOW AND A SNOW/RAIN MIX WILL BEGIN TODAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT. SOME AREAS IN THE SOUTHERN VALLEYS COULD SEE FOUR TO EIGHT INCHES OF NEW SNOW...WITH THE MOUNTAINS SEEING A FOOT OR MORE. AFTER A BRIEF BREAK TUESDAY...UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. && .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY. VERY ACTIVE AND QUITE A DIFFICULT FORECAST PERIOD TO START...WITH ONE OR TWO FLIES STILL STUCK IN THE PROVERBIAL OINTMENT. SATELLITE IMAGERY THIS MORNING DEPICTS A MATURE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SPINNING JUST OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CA THIS MORNING. RUC13 MSLP ANALYSIS IS SHOWING A DEEP 989 MB LOW...WHICH IS A GOOD 4 TO 5 SD BELOW NORMAL. IMPRESSIVE AREA OF CLOUDS AND MOISTURE CONTINUE TO STREAM SOUTH AND EAST OF THE PARENT SYSTEM. SFC WINDS ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EAST-CENTRAL PARTS OF NV ARE GUSTING AT THIS TIME. FIRST...WINDS CONTINUE TO BE QUITE IMPRESSIVE AT 700 MB...WITH AN AREA OF SOLID 3-4 SD ABOVE NORMAL SHOWN IN THE GFS ENSEMBLES. SREF GUIDANCE ALSO EQUALLY IMPRESSIVE WITH 850MB WINDS AT 4-5 SD ABOVE NORMAL. MSLP GRADIENT OF 13 MB HAS BEEN VERY CONSISTENT WITH ALL THE MODEL GUIDANCE FOR SOME TIME...THIS MORNING BEING NO DIFFERENT. THEREFORE...HAVE UPGRADED THE HIGH WIND WATCH INTO A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR SOUTHERN LANDER/EUREKA...WHITE PINE...AND NORTHERN NYE COUNTIES FOR THIS MORNING BEGINNING AT 15Z TODAY LASTING UNTIL 06Z TONIGHT. FOR AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE WARNING...NORTHERN LANDER/EUREKA AND ELKO COUNTIES...HAVE ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT WINDS COULD GUST TO NEAR WARNING CRITERIA IN ELKO AND NORTHERN LANDER/EUREKA...BUT THE THINKING IS THAT AREAL COVERAGE WILL NOT BE MET AND THESE GUSTS LOCALIZED. HUMBOLDT COUNTY WILL ALSO BE WINDY...BUT AGAIN THE THINKING WAS THAT WIDESPREAD ADVISORY SPEED WINDS WERE NOT GOING TO BE REACHED DUE TO PROXIMITY OF SURFACE LOW...WHICH IS FORECAST TO BE IN AND NEAR HUMBOLDT. WITH ALL THIS WIND...BLOWING DUST COULD BE AN ISSUE FOR AREAS IN THE WEST SO HAVE ADDED THIS DESCRIPTOR TO THE WX GRIDS FOR TODAY. SECOND PRODUCT WAS THE PREVIOUSLY ISSUED WINTER STORM WATCH. MUCH INTER-OFFICE DISCUSSION WAS HAD ON HOW THIS EVENT WAS GOING TO UNFOLD AND HOW TO HANDLE IT. HAVE UPGRADED THE WATCH INTO A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR ALL ELEVATIONS OF SOUTHERN LANDER/EUREKA...WHITE PINE...AND NORTHERN NYE COUNTIES FOR TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW. PREVIOUS MODEL RUNS SHOWED STRONG 250MB JET ENERGY AND DEEP MOISTURE PIERCING INTO NORTHERN NYE COUNTY LATER TONIGHT...WHICH PROMPTED THE WATCH ISSUANCE. CURRENT RUN OF THE GFS HAS SHIFTED THIS MOISTURE AND ENERGY FURTHER EAST...WHICH HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT MESSAGE WITH THE EUROPEAN MODEL. STILL IN A GOOD AREA OF LIFT HOWEVER. THE EUROPEAN HAS GENERATED MUCH LESS QPF THOUGH THAN THE GFS AND NAM. THINKING WE WILL GET DECENT SNOWFALL IN THE MOUNTAIN AREAS OF THE AFOREMENTIONED COUNTIES...ESPECIALLY THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST FACING SLOPES DUE TO UPSLOPE...BUT VALLEY AMOUNTS ARE PROGGED TO BE A BIT LESS...WHICH IS WHAT THE EC HAS SHOWN FAIRLY CONSISTENTLY. THEREFORE...THE SNOW AMOUNTS IN THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL BE PEGGED TO A HIGH END ADVISORY FOR A 24-HOUR ISSUANCE PERIOD. THE BEST PERIOD OF SNOW WILL PROBABLY OCCUR DURING THE OVERNIGHT...AROUND THE 06-12Z MONDAY TIME FRAME. WITH THE STRONG WINDS IN THE EARLY EVENING HOURS...WILL HEAVILY HIGHLIGHT THE DIMINISHED VSBYS DUE TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IN THE HIGH IMPACT WEATHER WEB BRIEFING...ADVISORY PRODUCT...AND HWO...AS TRAVEL ALONG US50 AND US 6...ALONG WITH THE STATE ROUTES IN THE COUNTIES MENTIONED ABOVE WON'T BE RECOMMENDED TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW. FOR OTHER AREAS IN NORTHERN NEVADA...ELKO AND HUMBOLDT COUNTIES...WILL PROBABLY SEE A GENERAL 1 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW FOR THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. UPSLOPE AREAS...MAINLY SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST FACING SLOPES...WILL SEE SOME UPSLOPE ENHANCEMENT. SURFACE WINDS WILL AGAIN BE BREEZY TO WINDY MONDAY BUT IT DOES NOT APPEAR ANY WIND PRODUCTS WILL BE NEEDED. HAVE CONTINUED SNOW SNOW/RAIN MIX DURING THE AFTERNOON MONDAY AS THE UPPER TROUGH ACIS SLOWLY TRIES TO PUSH EAST. DUE TO THE HIGH SUN ANGLE AND NEAR SPRING ON THE CALENDAR...SNOW ACCUMULATIONS MAY BE TOUGH DURING THE DAY ON MONDAY AND COULD END UP WITH A VERY HEAVY...WET...AND SLUSHY SNOW. AS MENTIONED...MOST OF THE SNOW SHOULD FALL DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. MAY SEE A BREAK ON TUESDAY AS A BASICALLY WEST TO EAST FLOW SETS UP OVER THE AREA...BUT PLENTY OF MOISTURE HANGING AROUND TO KEEP A CHANCE FOR CLOUDS AND LIGHT PRECIPITATION WITH BREEZY CONDITIONS. .LONG TERM...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT SUNDAY. VERY ACTIVE/WET WEATHER PATTERN EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE LONG TERM. A LONG SERIES OF PACIFIC TROUGHS WILL PROVIDE FOR MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RAIN/SNOW FOR THE GREAT BASIN...MID WEEK THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. TUESDAY NIGHT...VERY BRIEF SHORTWAVE RIDGING WILL END MOST PRECIP TEMPORARILY. THIS BREAK WILL NOT LAST LONG...AS NEXT STRONG PACIFIC TROUGH QUICKLY SPREADS ITS INFLUENCE INTO NEVADA ON WEDNESDAY. INCREASED POP GRIDS WESTERN ZONES WEDNESDAY AND AREAWIDE WEDNESDAY NIGHT. ALTHOUGH WARM AIR ADVECTION AHEAD OF THE TROUGH WILL LIKELY MIX IN SOME RAIN SOUTH/EAST...IT APPEARS MUCH OF WHAT FALLS WILL TAKE THE FORM OF SNOW. IN FACT...00Z GFS TIMING SUGGESTS MUCH OF THE SNOW WILL FALL DURING THE NIGHT...WED NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...TAKING OUT THE LATE MARCH SOLAR INSOLATION FACTOR AND ALLOWING SNOW TO ACCUMULATE MORE READILY. POP GRIDS WERE SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED...BUT 00Z MEX/MRA GUIDANCE SUGGESTS LIKELY POPS FOR MOST LOCALES...SO FUTURE SHIFTS WILL NEED TO PUSH POPS HIGHER. ANOTHER VERY BRIEF BREAK ON THURSDAY...WITH A WEAK SHORTWAVE RIDGE PASSING OVER NEVADA AS PACIFIC TROUGH QUICKLY RELOADS ALONG THE WEST COAST. KEPT MOST VALLEYS DRY ON THURSDAY WITH ONLY A FEW SNOW SHOWERS ON THE MOUNTAINS. AGAIN...NEXT TROUGH WILL QUICKLY SPREAD MAINLY SNOW INTO THE GREAT BASIN THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING ACCORDING TO 00Z GFS. IT IS ON THIS WAVE THAT MODEL TIMING BEGINS TO DEFER...WITH 00Z ECMWF ALMOST A FULL DAY SLOWER. NORMALLY...AM INCLINED TO BELIEVE THE ECMWF AT THIS RANGE WITH THE GFS HAVING A PROGRESSIVE BIAS. HOWEVER...WITH YET ANOTHER TROUGH QUICKLY APPROACHING FROM THE PACIFIC...FEEL TROUGH WILL BE MORE PROGRESSIVE AND INCREASED POPS FOR THURSDAY NIGHT/FRIDAY MORNING AT LEAST CLOSER TO 00Z MEX GUIDANCE. THIS TROUGH WILL BE COLD ENOUGH TO PRODUCE ACCUMULATING SNOW...BUT TIMING IS IN QUESTION. NO REST FOR THE WEARY...00Z ECMWF PROGS YET ANOTHER STRONG COLD TROUGH PASSAGE ACROSS NEVADA NEXT SUNDAY/MONDAY. THIS SYSTEM LOOKS VERY COLD WITH 700 MB TEMPS FALLING TO LESS THAN -12C MONDAY...BUT WE HAVE LOTS OF WEATHER TO DEAL WITH BETWEEN NOW AND THEN. BT && .AVIATION...CLOUD CEILINGS GRADUALLY LOWER TODAY...WITH MVFR LIKELY AT ALL TAF SITES BY 00Z MON. AS LOW PRESSURE STRENGTHENS OVER NW NEVADA TODAY...EXPECT BOTH PRECIP COVERAGE AND WINDS TO INCREASE. -SHRASN WILL BEGIN FIRST NEAR SUNRISE AT KTPH...MOVE TO NEAR KWMC/KELY BY MIDDAY...NEAR KEKO BY 00Z MON. PRECIP WILL BE LIGHT THROUGH SUN...BUT VIS WILL REDUCED IN ANY -SHSN. PRIMARY IMPACT TO AVIATION OPERATIONS SUNDAY WILL BE VERY STRONG WINDS. AFTER 18Z...EXPECT S/SE WINDS TO AVERAGE 20-35 KTS...WITH WIND GUSTS OF 45-50 KTS LIKELY. CONFIDENCE IS HIGHEST ON THESE GUSTS AT KELY...BUT BOTH KTPH/KEKO WILL GUST WELL OVER 40 KTS AT TIMES. WINDS WILL BE SOMEWHAT LESS AT KWMC...20 KTS WITH GUSTS NEAR 30 KTS. STRONG SE WINDS WILL CONTINUE WELL INTO THE EVENING...PARTICULARLY AT KELY. WIDESPREAD SNOW EXPECTED TO IMPACT AVIATION AT ALL TAF SITES MONDAY...WITH IFR LIKELY AT TIMES. BT && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR EXTREME EASTERN ELKO COUNTY...NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY... NORTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND NORTHERN EUREKA COUNTY...RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR NORTHERN NYE COUNTY...SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN EUREKA COUNTY...WHITE PINE COUNTY. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 5 PM PDT MONDAY FOR NORTHERN NYE COUNTY...SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN EUREKA COUNTY...WHITE PINE COUNTY. && 86/99/99
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 623 AM PDT SUN MAR 20 2011 NVZ031>034-036-211330- 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- 623 AM PDT SUN MAR 20 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NEVADA AND NORTHEAST NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A POTENT STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING WINDY CONDITIONS TO THE AREA TODAY. THESE WINDS WILL DEVELOP THIS MORNING AS SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WIND SPEEDS INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 55 MPH IN ELKO AND NORTHERN LANDER/EUREKA COUNTIES. LOCALLY WINDIER LOCALES COULD SEE WIND GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 MPH...BUT THESE SHOULD BE ISOLATED. AS A RESULT...A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM 8 AM TO 11 PM PDT. THIS STRONG SYSTEM WILL BRING INCREASING MOISTURE TO NORTHERN NEVADA LATER THIS MORNING INTO TONIGHT. RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP TODAY. AS THE EVENING DRAWS NEAR ANY RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW. SNOW AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM A TRACE TO AN INCH IN THE VALLEYS TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH MAYBE ONE TO THREE INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THE WINTER SYSTEM WILL GRADUALLY WORK ITS WAY THROUGH THE REGION ON MONDAY. GENERAL SNOW AMOUNTS LOOK TO BE ON THE ORDER OF UP TO 2 INCHES IN THE VALLEYS WITH 2 TO 4 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS. UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK...WITH BRIEF BREAKS IN BETWEEN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. NVZ013-035-037-211330- NORTHERN NYE COUNTY-WHITE PINE COUNTY- SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN EUREKA COUNTY- 623 AM PDT SUN MAR 20 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL NEVADA...NORTH CENTRAL NEVADA AND SOUTH CENTRAL NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A POTENT STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING VERY STRONG WINDS TO THE AREA TODAY. THESE WINDS WILL DEVELOP THIS MORNING AS SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WIND SPEEDS INCREASE TO 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH IN NORTHERN NYE...SOUTHERN LANDER/EUREKA...AND WHITE PINE COUNTIES. AS A RESULT...A HIGH WIND WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM 8 AM TO 11 PM PDT. THIS STRONG SYSTEM WILL BRING INCREASING MOISTURE TO CENTRAL NEVADA LATER THIS MORNING THROUGH MONDAY. RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP TODAY. AS THE EVENING DRAWS NEAR ANY RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW. SNOW COULD BECOME HEAVY AT TIME DURING THE OVERNIGHT...AND COMBINED WITH BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS...COULD CAUSE NEAR WHITEOUT CONDITIONS IN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NEVADA. AS A RESULT...A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW HAS BEEN ISSUED AND WILL BE VALID FROM 5 PM SUNDAY TO 5 PM MONDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THE WINTER SYSTEM WILL GRADUALLY WORK ITS WAY THROUGH THE REGION ON MONDAY. ALL TOLD...GENERAL SNOW AMOUNTS LOOK TO BE IN THE 4 TO 8 INCH RANGE BELOW 6500 FEET AND 8 TO 12 INCHES ABOVE 6500 FEET. SOME MOUNTAIN RANGES AT OR ABOVE 6500 FEET...ESPECIALLY IN NORTHERN NYE COUNTY...COULD SEE ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 12 TO MAYBE 18 INCHES OF NEW SNOW. UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK...WITH BRIEF BREAKS IN BETWEEN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. NVZ030-211330- HUMBOLDT COUNTY- 623 AM PDT SUN MAR 20 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP OUT AHEAD OF A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM TODAY. SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH DURING THE AFTERNOON. RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL ALSO DEVELOP TODAY AND LASTING THROUGH THE NIGHT. EXPECT UP TO AN INCH BELOW 6500 FEET WITH ABOUT 2 TO 4 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE MONDAY WITH ABOUT UP AN INCH IN ACCUMULATION IN THE VALLEYS AND 1 TO 2 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATION OF UP TO 3 INCHES IN THE VALLEYS AND 3 TO 6 IN THE MOUNTAINS. UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK...WITH BRIEF BREAKS IN BETWEEN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gusts up to 66 mph were reported by the Austin RAWS and gusts to 60 mph were reported at the Eureka Airport.
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, March 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: 279073.