A strong low pressure system moving across southern Oregon and southern Idaho caused strong south winds across portions of northern Nevada. Wind gusts up to 86 mph were observed.
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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 moving across southern Oregon and southern Idaho caused strong south winds across portions of northern Nevada. Wind gusts up to 86 mph were observed.
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 Dec 16, 4:10 PM PST, 11 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 410 PM PST SUN DEC 16 2012 .SYNOPSIS...EXPECT WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW ACROSS NORTHERN NEVADA THROUGH THIS EVENING. EXPECT A SMALL BREAK IN THE SNOWFALL LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY...BEFORE MORE ACCUMULATING SNOW ARRIVES IN NEVADA MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. EXPECT MUCH COLDER AIR TO INVADE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. && .AVIATION UPDATE...WARM FRONT HAS CLEARED WINNEMUCCA WITH SNOW ENDING TEMPORARILY AND VISIBILITY BACK TO NORMAL. THE LAST FEW FRAMES OF VISIBLE SATELLITE REVEAL A VERY LOW STRATOCUMULUS DECK NEAR 700 FEET AGL BEHIND THE WARM FRONT...SO EXPECT IFR CIGS NEAR KWMC FOR A FEW HOURS. AT KEKO...STEADY PERSISTENT LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH ABOUT 03Z...AFTER WHICH SNOW WILL TAPER OFF. UNTIL THEN...EXPECTING VISIBILITY TO REMAIN AT OR BELOW KEKO CATEGORY A AIRFIELD MINIMUMS. TURNER && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED AT 345 PM / SYNOPSIS...EXPECT WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW ACROSS NORTHERN NEVADA THROUGH THIS EVENING. EXPECT A SMALL BREAK IN THE SNOWFALL LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY...BEFORE MORE ACCUMULATING SNOW ARRIVES IN NEVADA MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. EXPECT MUCH COLDER AIR TO INVADE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. UPDATE...SENT OUT UPDATED GRIDS AND TEXT PRODUCTS FOR THIS EVENING. INCREASED SNOW COVERAGE TO 100% FOR ALL ZONES AHEAD OF UNUSUALLY WELL-DEFINED WARM FRONT...JUST NOW PASSING THROUGH WINNEMUCCA. WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW WILL ACCUMULATE AT LEAST TO AN INCH...LOCALLY TWO...ACROSS WESTERN ELKO AND NORTHERN EUREKA COUNTIES AHEAD OF WARM FRONT...INCLUDING ELKO/SPRING CREEK. EXPECT ROAD CONDITIONS TO DETERIORATE QUICKLY IN THESE ZONES EARLY THIS EVENING AFTER SUNSET...ESPECIALLY ABOVE 5500 FEET. TURNER PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED AT 200 PM / SYNOPSIS...EXPECT WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW ACROSS NORTHERN NEVADA THROUGH THIS EVENING. EXPECT A SMALL BREAK IN THE SNOWFALL LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY...BEFORE MORE ACCUMULATING SNOW ARRIVES IN NEVADA MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. EXPECT MUCH COLDER AIR TO INVADE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. IMPRESSIVE OVERRUNNING PATTERN ESTABLISHED OVER NORTHERN NEVADA THIS AFTERNOON...WITH COPIOUS PACIFIC MOISTURE RIDING OVER THE COLD AIR AT THE SURFACE. THE RESULTING STRONG ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL KEEP LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW PRODUCTION GOING ACROSS NORTHERN NEVADA...THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. SNOWFALL RATES SHOULD GENERALLY NOT BE EXCESSIVE WITH MOST VALLEYS RECEIVING LESS THAN 2 ADDITIONAL INCHES THIS EVENING. UNTREATED ROADWAYS WILL QUICKLY DETERIORATE AFTER SUNSET/430 PM AS ADDITIONAL SNOW FALLS ON CURRENTLY WET/SLUSHY ROADS. KLRX REFLECTIVITY SHOWS MODERATE SNOW EXTENDING FROM NEAR TUSCARORA TO MIDAS TO WINNEMUCCA...VISIBILITY WILL OCCASIONALLY FALL TO 1/2 MILE IN THE HEAVIEST SNOW THROUGH THIS EVENING...ESPECIALLY ACROSS NE NEVADA. COMPLEX SITUATION IN REGARDS TO INHERITED WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN NEVADA. CLEARLY...ADVISORY IS WARRANTED THIS EVENING AS SNOW FALLS ON COOLING ROADWAYS. SOME MODELS FORECAST A SMALL BREAK IN THE SNOWFALL LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY MORNING. TRIED TO FORECAST THIS LULL IN THE GRIDS...BUT EVEN IF IT OCCURS EXPECT MANY ROADWAYS TO BE HAZARDOUS DURING THE MONDAY MORNING COMMUTE. DECIDED TO KEEP THE ADVISORY GOING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING AS A RESULT. MONDAY AFTERNOON...EXPECTING A VERY BRIEF INTRUSION OF WARMER AIR AHEAD OF ADVANCING COLD FRONT...ENOUGH TO GET MOST VALLEYS TO THE UPPER 30S AND LOWER 40S. DURING THIS SHORT TIME SPAN...MOST VALLEY ROADWAYS WILL BE SIMPLY WET. GIVEN THAT THE 12Z GFS PUSHES THE STRONG COLD FRONT TO NEAR THE I-80 CORRIDOR BY 4 PM MONDAY WITH FALLING THICKNESSES/COLDER AIR AND RENEWED ACCUMULATING SNOW BY SUNSET...JUST CONTINUED THE ADVISORY STRAIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. AM QUITE CONCERNED THAT ROAD CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE RAPIDLY MONDAY EVENING...AS SNOW AND MUCH COLDER AIR WORK ON THE WET ROADWAYS. COLD FRONT AND HEAVIEST SNOW EXPECTED TO SAG SOUTH INTO CENTRAL NEVADA BY SUNRISE TUESDAY. EXPECT TO NEED WINTER WEATHER HEADLINES OF SOME FLAVOR FOR THIS AREA ON TUESDAY...BUT WILL NOT ISSUE NOW TO HELP REDUCE CONFUSION OF PRODUCTS. GFS/ECMWF COMING INTO MUCH BETTER AGREEMENT ON A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM DEVELOPING FOR OUR FAR SE ZONES/LINCOLN COUNTY/SW UTAH WITH HEAVY SNOW. JUST RAMPED UP SNOW COVERAGE FOR NOW...BUT MODEL SOLUTIONS SUGGEST SOME VERY HEAVY SNOW IS POSSIBLE SE OF AN ELY-TONOPAH LINE ON TUESDAY. TEMPERATURES...PRIMARY IMPACT FOR MOST OF US WITH SOME OF THE COLDEST AIR SO FAR THIS WINTER SEASON ON TAP. ON TUESDAY...EXPECT VALLEYS TO FALL SHORT OF FREEZING WITH HIGHS ONLY IN THE UPPER 20S TO NEAR 30. NW BREEZES WILL MAKE IT FEEL EVEN COLDER. COLDEST DAY STILL LOOKS TO BE WEDNESDAY WITH LOWS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS AND HIGHS ONLY IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S. THE GOOD NEWS...THE LACK OF SIGNIFICANT CLEARING IS EXPECTED TO KEEP TEMPERATURES ABOVE THE COLDEST GUIDANCE ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. IF SOME MORE CLEARING OF THE CLOUDS CAN TAKE PLACE AS HINTED AT BY 12Z GFS...THAN SOME SUBZERO READINGS ARE LIKELY GIVEN THE EXPECTED SNOW COVER. TURNER LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. SHORTWAVE RIDGING ALOFT IS BEING DEPICTED BY THE MODELS BEGINNING WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. MINIMUM TEMPERATURES ON THE NUMERICAL GUIDANCE FOR THURSDAY MORNING ARE QUITE CHILLY WITH MANY LOCALES SEEING THE SINGLE DIGITS. MODELS ARE SHOWING SOME DRIER AIR WORKING IN AND WITH SNOW COVER...COULD VERY WELL SEE THESE TEMPS. A FEW LOCATIONS COULD BE A BIT COLDER AND WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR GUIDANCE AND ADJUST TEMPS ACCORDINGLY. SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL REMAIN ON THURSDAY THROUGH THE REST OF THE LONG TERM AS A LARGE EAST PACIFIC TROUGH SITS WELL OFF THE COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. ENERGY AND MOISTURE WILL BE PUSHED EAST AS THE UPPER LOW DIGS SOUTH. GFS 295K ISENTROPIC SURFACE DOES SHOW SOME WEAK LIFT AND MOISTURE IN HUMBOLDT COUNTY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AND HAVE MASSAGED POPS SOMEWHAT FOR THIS LOCATION AND FOR POINTS SLIGHTLY EAST. COULD BE A BIT BREEZY TO WINDY AT TIMES IN THE AFTERNOON...BUT STILL TOO FAR OFF TO ISSUE ANY WIND HEADLINES. STILL QUITE A BIT OF SPREAD AMONG THE MODELS...BUT THE GENERAL TREND IS THAT THE LARGE UPPER LOW WILL CONTINUE TO SINK SOUTH FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SHOWERS IN HUMBOLDT AND WESTERN ELKO COUNTIES. BREEZY TO MAYBE WINDY CONDITIONS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND SATURDAY WILL MAKE IT FEEL BRISK OUTSIDE. HAVE CONTINUED CLIMO POPS ON SUNDAY DUE TO DIFFERENCES IN TIMING OF UPPER TROUGH PASSAGE AND RELATED FEATURES. AVIATION...A MOIST AIR MASS EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH MONDAY. BREEZY CONDITIONS EXPECTED ALL LOCATIONS THIS EVENING WITH SW-S10-15G25KT POSSIBLE. -SHSN TO CONTINUE ACROSS NORTHERN TAF SITES WITH CIGS/VSBY VARYING TO AS LOW AS LIFR IN THE HEAVIEST SNOW SHOWERS. && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM PST TUESDAY FOR HUMBOLDT COUNTY...NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY...NORTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND NORTHERN EUREKA COUNTY...RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE... SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY...SOUTHWESTERN ELKO COUNTY. && 99/99
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 313 AM PST MON DEC 17 2012 NVZ030-031-180000- HUMBOLDT COUNTY-NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY- 313 AM PST MON DEC 17 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST NEVADA AND NORTHWEST NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY. STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND SOME LIGHT...TO LOCALLY MODERATE...SNOW SHOWERS WILL IMPACT MUCH OF HUMBOLDT AND NORTHERN ELKO COUNTIES TODAY. PLEASE SEE PRODUCT RNOWSWLKN FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. NVZ035-037-039-041-180000- WHITE PINE COUNTY- SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN EUREKA COUNTY- SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY-NORTHEASTERN NYE COUNTY- 313 AM PST MON DEC 17 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL NEVADA...NORTH CENTRAL NEVADA...NORTHEAST NEVADA AND SOUTH CENTRAL NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW WILL BEGIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE TONIGHT ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EAST-CENTRAL NEVADA. PLEASE SEE PRODUCT RNOWSWLKN FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EAST- CENTRAL NEVADA THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. PLEASE SEE PRODUCT RNOWSWLKN FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. ROOD
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust of 61 mph was observed at the Double H RAWS, 60 mph at the Morey Creek RAWS, and 58 mph at the Texas Springs RAWS.
A wind gust to 66 mph was recorded at the Wells/Moor Grade mesonet site, 63 mph at the Pequop Summit mesonet site, and 59 mph at the Clover Valley mesonet site.
Down slope wind gusts to 86 mph were recorded at the Ruby Valley RAWS site on the East slopes of the Ruby Mountains.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, December 2012
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: 417793, 417794, 417795.