A strong jet stream over northeastern Nevada produced strong wind gusts up to 70 mph across portions of Elko county.
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 jet stream over northeastern Nevada produced strong wind gusts up to 70 mph across portions of Elko county.
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 Feb 22, 12:26 PM PST, 1 hour 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 1226 PM PST WED FEB 22 2012 .SYNOPSIS...EXPECT STRONG WINDS ACROSS NORTHEAST NEVADA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES. THE COLD FRONT WILL PRODUCE LIGHT SNOW ACROSS NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY TONIGHT. MUCH COOLER BEHIND THE COLD FRONT ON THURSDAY. MODERATING TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY...FOLLOWED BY A STRONG COLD FRONT ON SATURDAY. && .UPDATE... ANOTHER UPDATE TO INCREASE HIGH TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE BOARD SEVERAL DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. MOST VALLEYS ALREADY INTO THE LOWER 50S AT NOON. PREFRONTAL WINDS AHEAD OF COLD FRONT WILL WARM US NICELY WITH MANY VALLEYS REACHING 60 THIS AFTERNOON. BT && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED AT 1010 AM/ SYNOPSIS...EXPECT STRONG WINDS ACROSS NORTHEAST NEVADA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES. THE COLD FRONT WILL PRODUCE LIGHT SNOW ACROSS NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY TONIGHT. MUCH COOLER BEHIND THE COLD FRONT ON THURSDAY. MODERATING TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY...FOLLOWED BY A STRONG COLD FRONT ON SATURDAY. UPDATE...SIGNIFICANT WIND EVENT DEVELOPING FOR ELKO COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. LOCAL WIND STUDY STRONGLY SUGGESTS DAMAGING WIND GUSTS EAST OF THE RUBY MOUNTAINS/HUMBOLDT RANGE THIS AFTERNOON AND PARTICULARLY THIS EVENING. UPGRADED THE WIND ADVISORY FOR THIS ZONE TO A HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 4 PM TO 10 PM...WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS NEAR/OVER 70 MPH EXPECTED. THE WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE REMAINDER OF SOUTH CENTRAL/SW ELKO COUNTY THROUGH 10 PM THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL BE GUSTY IN ELKO AND SPRING CREEK THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH GUSTS OF 40-45 MPH LIKELY. HOWEVER...THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE FOUND ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF ZONE 032 /NORTH AND EAST OF THE RUBY MOUNTAINS/. WIND GUSTS WILL BE STRONGEST AND MOST DANGEROUS FOR TRAVELERS ON PASSES AND SUMMITS...AND CROSSWINDS WILL BE THE WORST ON NORTH/SOUTH ORIENTED HIGHWAYS SUCH AS U.S. HIGHWAY 93. ALTHOUGH PEQUOP SUMMIT ON I-80 IS IN THE ADVISORY...WIND GUSTS OF HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA CAN BE EXPECTED THERE ESPECIALLY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES. HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS VALID FOR NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY THROUGH 10 PM...WITH GUSTS OF 60-70 MPH LIKELY ON THE HIGHER TERRAIN. IR SATELLITE REVEALS CIRRUS CANOPY DECREASING IN COVERAGE ACROSS NEVADA THIS MORNING...WITH CLEARING APPROACHING FROM OREGON. THIS ADDITIONAL SUNSHINE WILL ALLOW FOR BETTER MIXING AND HAVE HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT HIGH MOMENTUM ALOFT WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE SURFACE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. STRONGEST WIND GUSTS LIKELY JUST AHEAD OF AND NEAR THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE. TURNER PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED AT 357 AM / SYNOPSIS...LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN TODAY TO BRING WINDY CONDITIONS AND A SMALL CHANCE FOR RAIN AND SNOW ACROSS NORTHEAST NEVADA. AFTER A BRIEF BREAK...ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN NEVADA ON SATURDAY BRINGING MORE WIND AND SNOW. SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY. VERY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE MODELS THROUGH FRIDAY. IR SATELLITE IMAGERY THIS MORNING PERFECTLY OUTLINES THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE OFF THE PACIFIC COAST SHOWING ABOUT A ONE THOUSAND MILE DIAMETER EXPANSE OF CLEAR AIR. THE LKN CWFA LIES IN THE DIRTY PORTION OF THE RIDGE AS CLOUDS CONTINUE TO SPREAD ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN...KEEPING TEMPERATURES VERY MILD THIS MORNING. ESSENTIALLY EVERYWHERE IS ABOVE FREEZING ACROSS THE CWFA AS OF 2 AM PST...41 DEGREES AT EKO. WIND GUSTS ARE AROUND 30 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY SUMMITS OF ELKO COUNTY AT THIS HOUR. THE BIG ISSUE IN THE SHORT TERM WILL BE THE WIND. TODAY AND TONIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL REMAIN NEAR STATIONARY TODAY...A SHORTWAVE LOW WILL CUT THROUGH NE NV TO TIGHTEN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT AND PRODUCE SOME STRONG WINDS OVER ELKO COUNTY. WILL BE UPGRADING CURRENT ADVISORY TO HIGH WIND WARNING FOR NORTHERN ELKO AND WILL ADD WIND ADVISORIES FOR THE REMAINDER OF ELKO COUNTY PRIMARILY 18Z WEDNESDAY TO 06Z THURSDAY HOWEVER TIMED A LITTLE LATER FOR EXTREME EASTERN ELKO COUNTY ZONE 33. PRECIPITATION TODAY WILL BE A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW UNTIL COOLER AIR CAN FILTER IN LATE THIS EVENING AND THE WINDS SUBSIDE TO REDUCE MIXING. WILL ALSO NEED TO ASSESS THE POSSIBILITY OF A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS OF ELKO COUNTY BUT FOR NOW...THE INCLUSIVE ADVISORY FOR THE MAIN PORTION OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY WILL SUFFICE. THURSDAY. THE DIRTY NORTHWEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE EMANATING FROM THE PACIFIC RIDGE SO SHOWERS WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST FOR NORTHEAST NEVADA. NO SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. ANOTHER UPPER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BUCKLE THE PACIFIC RIDGE AND CAUSE A PULSE SHORTWAVE RIDGE AXIS TO MOVE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...RESULTING IN A DRY PERIOD WITH SOME PRE-FRONTAL WARMING. LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY. THE LONGWAVE PATTERN FEATURES A DEEP COLD TROF IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST THAT WILL BREAK DOWN THE RIDGING OVER THE LKN CWA. TWO THINGS REALLY STAND OUT THIS FORECAST PERIOD...ONE...EXPECTING POSITIVE HEIGHT ANOMALIES TO TRANSITION TO NEGATIVE HEIGHT ANOMALIES...TWO...THE TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT FOR THIS WEEKEND. THE MODELS ARE IN SYNC DEPICTING THIS CHANGE IN PATTERN AND BRINGING COLD AIR OVER THE CWA THIS WEEKEND. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...AS THE NOSE OF THE JET CARVES ITS WAY ACROSS THE SILVER STATE...ANTICIPATE WIDESPREAD STRONG GUSTY WINDS. THE GEFS ENSEMBLE MEAN DEPICTS STRONG U-COMPONENT WINDS OVER MUCH OF THE CWA FROM 00Z ON THE 25TH THRU 00Z ON THE 26TH. MOREOVER...EXPECTING POST FRONTAL SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH MONDAY...HOWEVER...STRUGGLING TO FIND EVIDENCE FOR A MAJOR QPF EVENT...WITH THE GFS40 PROJECTING PWS UNDER .30 OF AN INCH WITH THIS SYSTEM. HOWEVER...EXPECTING A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR. TUESDAY WILL BE DRY ACROSS ALL ZONES AND THE MODELS ARE HINTING AT ANOTHER CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION ON WEDNESDAY. AVIATION...THE REMNANTS OF A PACIFIC BOUNDARY WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH ACROSS THE REGION...BUT EXPECTING VFR CONDITIONS AT THIS TIME. THE PRIMARY IMPACT ON AVIATION WILL BE INCREASED WINDS AND TURBULENCE ALONG WITH OBSCURED MOUNTAIN TOPS. && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM PST THURSDAY FOR EXTREME EASTERN ELKO COUNTY. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE IN THE RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE. && 99/99
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 235 PM PST TUE FEB 21 2012 NVZ031-221200- NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY- 235 PM PST TUE FEB 21 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST NEVADA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT WITH MINIMAL TRAVEL IMPACTS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. STRONG SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. WINDS WILL AVERAGE 30 TO 40 MPH WITH FREQUENT GUSTS NEAR OR OVER 55 MPH. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED ON THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE JARBIDGE WILDERNESS...WHERE GUSTS OVER 60 MPH ARE LIKELY. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY FROM 10 AM TO 10 PM PST WEDNESDAY. AN UPGRADE TO A HIGH WIND WARNING MAY BE REQUIRED IF WINDS ARE STRONGER THAN CURRENTLY ANTICIPATED. TRAVEL WILL BE DIFFICULT ESPECIALLY ON NORTH SOUTH HIGHWAYS INCLUDING U.S. HIGHWAY 93. A STRONG COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BRING SNOW...WIND...AND SHARPLY COLDER TEMPERATURES TO NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY ON SATURDAY. VERY COLD AIR AND LIGHT SNOW WILL PERSIST THROUGH NEXT SUNDAY AND MONDAY. RANCHERS SHOULD PREPARE THEIR LIVESTOCK FOR THIS UPCOMING EXTENDED COLD SPELL. PREPARE HOMES AND AUTOMOBILES FOR A RETURN TO MUCH COLDER WEATHER SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. NVZ013-030-032>037-221200- NORTHERN NYE COUNTY-HUMBOLDT COUNTY- SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY- EXTREME EASTERN ELKO COUNTY-RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE- WHITE PINE COUNTY- NORTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND NORTHERN EUREKA COUNTY- SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN EUREKA COUNTY- 235 PM PST TUE FEB 21 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL NEVADA...NORTH CENTRAL NEVADA...NORTHEAST NEVADA...NORTHWEST NEVADA AND SOUTH CENTRAL NEVADA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS WILL DIMINISH IN COVERAGE TONIGHT WITH MINIMAL TRAVEL IMPACTS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. STRONG WEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS EXPECTED NORTH OF U.S. HIGHWAY 50. WINDS WILL AVERAGE 15 TO 25 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. EXPECT MUCH STRONGER WINDS ON THE RUBY MOUNTAINS WITH GUSTS NEAR 60 MPH LIKELY. A STRONG COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BRING SNOW...WIND...AND SHARPLY COLDER TEMPERATURES TO NEVADA ON SATURDAY. VERY COLD AIR AND LIGHT SNOW WILL PERSIST THROUGH NEXT SUNDAY AND MONDAY. RANCHERS SHOULD PREPARE THEIR LIVESTOCK FOR THIS UPCOMING EXTENDED COLD SPELL. PREPARE HOMES AND AUTOMOBILES FOR A RETURN TO MUCH COLDER WEATHER SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. TURNER
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust to 73 mph was reported by the Pequop Summit mesonet site. A gust to 70 mph was reported at the Warm Springs mesonet site.
A wind gust to 65 mph was reported by the Pole Creek RAWS. Sustained winds over 40 mph for several hours were reported at a mesonet site near Jackpot.
A gust to 60 mph was reported by the Ruby Valley RAWS.
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, February 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: 358082, 358081, 358086.