A strong cold front brought strong winds to portions of eastern Nevada. Wind gusts up to 76 mph were recorded.
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 strong cold front brought strong winds to portions of eastern Nevada. Wind gusts up to 76 mph were recorded.
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 May 15, 3:05 AM PST, 3 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 405 AM PDT SUN MAY 15 2011 .SYNOPSIS...A POWERFUL PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG GUSTY WINDS TO MUCH OF THE STATE TODAY...WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS EXPECTED IN EAST CENTRAL NEVADA NEAR ELY. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THE STORM SYSTEM...ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTHERN AND NORTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE. MUCH COLDER AIR WILL MOVE IN BEHIND THE STORM BY TONIGHT...AND LINGER THROUGH THE EARLY PORTION OF THE WEEK. && .SHORT TERM...STRONG UPPER LOW CURRENTLY LOCATED JUST NORTHWEST OF SAN FRANCISCO WILL MOVE INTO THE WEST COAST TODAY...OPENING UP INTO A NEGATIVELY TILTED TROUGH AS IT SWINGS ACROSS NEVADA. STRONG COLD FRONT WILL PRODUCE SOME ISOLATED THUNDER AND WIDESPREAD SHOWERS ACROSS HUMBOLDT...LANDER AND FAR WESTERN ELKO COUNTIES THIS MORNING...WITH SOME WEAKENING OF PRECIPITATION AS IT HEADS FURTHER EAST THIS AFTERNOON AS THE LOW OPENS UP AND FRONTOGENESIS STARTS TO DEGRADE. MEANWHILE...STRONG LOW LEVEL JET WILL BE FOCUSED ACROSS WHITE PINE COUNTY WITH WINDS NEAR 50 KNOTS LESS THAN 5000 FEET ABOVE THE VALLEY FLOORS. WITH EXCELLENT MIXING EXPECTED WHERE CLOUDS HAVE YET TO DOMINATE...HAVE UPGRADED HIGH WIND WATCH TO A HIGH WIND WARNING ACROSS WHITE PINE COUNTY. WINDS DO NOT LOOK AS STRONG ACROSS NORTHERN NYE COUNTY...SO HAVE REPLACED THE WATCH WITH A WIND ADVISORY THERE. HAVE ALSO ISSUED WIND ADVISORIES FOR OTHER ZONES ADJACENT TO WHITE PINE COUNTY...I.E. SOUTHERN LANDER AND EUREKA COUNTY AND SOUTHWESTERN AND SOUTH-CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY...AS AT LEAST PARTS OF THESE ZONES SHOULD SEE WINDS UP TO 45 MPH IN GUSTS. WINDS MAY GUST NEAR WIND ADVISORY IN OTHER ZONES FURTHER NORTH AND WEST IMMEDIATELY BEHIND FRONTAL PASSAGE LATER TODAY...BUT FOR NOW AM NOT CONVINCED THAT IT IS WORTHY OF A FULL ADVISORY AS PRESSURE GRADIENT ON NAM AT THE LEAST DOESN'T GET REALLY TIGHT UNTIL THIS AFTERNOON...WHEN FRONT IS ALREADY EAST OF THESE ZONES. CHILLY AIR MOVES IN TONIGHT WITH SNOW LEVELS DROPPING TO THE VALLEY FLOORS...THOUGH PRECIP SHOULD BE WANING QUICKLY AFTER SUNSET AS FORCING FALLS APART OR MOVES NORTHEASTWARD AWAY FROM THE AREA. LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING SHOULD BE FAIRLY QUIET WITH JUST A FEW STRAY SNOW SHOWERS MAINLY IN THE MOUNTAINS...BUT ACTIVITY WILL INCREASE AS NEXT SHORTWAVE ROTATING AROUND THE LARGER SYSTEM MOVES TOWARD THE REGION LATER MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. RIGHT NOW THIS SYSTEM LOOKS WEAKER AND THERE IS MUCH LESS INSTABILITY SO HAVE NOT INCLUDED ANY THUNDER. WINDS WILL ALSO BE MUCH LIGHTER. WITH PLENTY OF COLD AIR BEHIND THE FRONT IN PLACE ON MONDAY...HIGHS WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH 50 DEGREES IN MANY VALLEYS. RCM .LONG TERM...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT SUNDAY. JUST LIKE THE LAST DISCUSSION SAID...SPRING IS OVER FOR NOW. LOOKS LIKE THE WELL ADVERTISED UPPER LOW JUST OFFSHORE WILL BEGIN HEAVILY IMPACTING NEVADA TODAY. ASSOCIATED JETS...IMPENDING SURFACE FRONT...AND TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL BRING QUASI-WINTER WEATHER BACK TO NORTHERN...CENTRAL...AND EASTERN NEVADA. AFTER THE INITIAL BLAST...IT IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO WARM BACK UP TO SEASONAL NORMAL TEMPS...PROBABLY BY ABOUT FRIDAY. THE BRIGHT SIDE IS THAT IT WILL FEEL SO GOOD BY THEN. AS THE CENTER OF THE LOW MOVES INLAND...BOTH MAJOR MODELS ARE ABOUT THE SAME ON ITS BEHAVIOR. STRONG JET DOWN THE BACK SIDE WILL CURVE IT AROUND INTO A NEGATIVE TILT WHICH WILL MAKE IT STICK ARUOND LONGER THAN IT OTHERWISE WOULD. WITH THIS BEHAVIOR COMES LINGERING RH AND COLDER AIR INTO THE GREAT BASIN. AM EXPECTING COLD ENOUGH TEMPS TO MAKE SNOW ON THE VALLEY FLOORS TUESDAY AND POSSIBLY TUESDAY IN THE DARK TIMES...TURNING TO RAIN IN THE DAY IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SECTIONS...BUT POSSIBLY REMAINING SNOW SHOWER ALONG OREGON AND IDAHO BORDERS. ALSO...90 AGL WINDS TURN NORTH TO NORTHWEST IN THE WRAP AROUND FLOW AND PLACES LIKE THE SANTA ROSA AND RUBY MOUNTAINS AND GREAT BASIN NP MAY GET ENOUGH UPSLOPE TO ADD 1-4 INCHES OF NEW SNOW OVER THE TWO DAYS ABOVE ABOUT 8000 FEET. DO NOT EXPECT ACCUMULATIONS IN THE VALLEYS...BUT...HAVE LEARNED TO NEVER RULE OUT SOME PLACES WHICH HAVE GENTLE UPSLOPE WHICH MIGHT GET BRIEF HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS AND MINOR SLUSHY ACCUMULATIONS FOR A SHORT TIME ON LOCAL ROADS. WHEN THE MODELS DIVERGE LATER IN THE WEEK THE FORECAST GETS MORE UNCERTAIN SO A COMPROMISE OF THE TWO LOOKS BEST...AND BROAD BRUSHING. IN GENERAL A SLOW WARMUP TO AROUND NORMAL TEMPS AND HUMIDITIES. BB && .AVIATION...NOT A GOOD DAY TO FLY FOR GA. EXPECT A TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT AND INCREASING WINDS OVER ALL OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN NEVADA. HIGH WIND WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR WHITE PINE COUNTY AND NORTHERN NYE...WITH WIND ADVISORIES FOR BASICALLY THE REST. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH WILL BE COMMON AROUND WMC...EKO...TPH WITH WINDS TO OVER 50 MPH AT ELY. THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT POSSIBILITY FOR THUNDERSTORMS AT EKO...LESS LIKELY AT WMC...TPH...AND ELY. SUNDAY AFTERNOON...AFTER FROPA...EXPECT MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES... IN SOME PLACES RAPID DROPS OF 20-30 DEGREES...AND A CHANGE OVER TO SNOW SHOWERS ON THE VALLEY FLOORS. DO NOT EXPECT ACCUMULATION IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS NOR AT TPH...BUT UNCERTAIN AT ELY. SOME SLUSH MIGHT ACCUMULATION THERE BRIEFLY. CIGS AND VISBYS WILL DETERIORATE RAPIDLY ONCE THEY START DOWN. IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THEY COULD DROP INTO IFR AT TIMES IN WMC...EKO...AND ELY...WITH BRIEF MVFR AT TPH. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE SOME OVER NIGHT WITH A WIND SHIFT TO NORTHWEST AND LESS GUSTINESS...BUT PRECIP WILL STAY AS WET SNOW AFTER DARK. BB && .HYDROLOGY...SNOW MELT INCREASED AGAIN ON SATURDAY WITH WARM TEMPERATURES AND A FLOOD WARNING WAS ISSUED FOR THE JARBIDGE RIVER AT JARBIDGE AS LEVELS ROSE. AN UPDATED WARNING WAS ALSO SENT FOR THE MARYS RIVER AT CHARLESTON AS FLOODING REACHED MODERATE STAGE. SOME ADDITIONAL MINOR RISES ARE STILL POSSIBLE TODAY EVEN THOUGH TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO DECLINE. RIVER LEVELS SHOULD START TO DECLINE BY MONDAY AS MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES BRING SNOW MELT TO A HALT. THIS DECLINE IS LIKELY TO PERSIST THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WORK WEEK. RCM && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR EXTREME EASTERN ELKO COUNTY. WIND ADVISORY FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 5 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR NORTHERN NYE COUNTY...RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE... SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN EUREKA COUNTY...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR WHITE PINE COUNTY. && 93/98/98/93
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 322 AM PDT SUN MAY 15 2011 NVZ013-032>034-037-161030- NORTHERN NYE COUNTY-SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY- EXTREME EASTERN ELKO COUNTY-RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE- SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN EUREKA COUNTY- 322 AM PDT SUN MAY 15 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NEVADA...NORTHEAST NEVADA AND SOUTH CENTRAL NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A STRONG STORM SYSTEM FROM THE PACIFIC WILL MAKE INROADS IN NEVADA TODAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG GUSTY WINDS...WITH GUSTS OVER 45 MPH EXPECTED. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. NVZ035-161030- WHITE PINE COUNTY- 322 AM PDT SUN MAY 15 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A POWERFUL PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL BARREL TOWARDS NEVADA TODAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS...WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH EXPECTED. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .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 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds gusting up to 63 mph were recorded. A power pole in Ruth was blown down.
Wind gusts up to 65 mph were reported at the Ruby Valley RAWS and up to 61 MPH at the Crane Springs RAWS. The strong winds|blew over a wood stove chimney and moved a shed on a cement slab about 3 inches at a residence near Ryndon.
The Pilot Peak NDOT weather station reported wind gusts up to 76 mph. The Spring Gulch RAWS reported wind gusts up to 60 mph. These strong winds blew over a semi trailer on Interstate 80 at mile marker 398 about 12 miles northwest of West Wendover.
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, May 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: 291599, 291595, 291594.