A winter storm brought 4 to 8 inches of snow in the valleys and over a foot in the mountains to portions of eastern Nevada.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 winter storm brought 4 to 8 inches of snow in the valleys and over a foot in the mountains to portions of eastern 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 Jan 20, 4:06 PM PST, 8 hours 54 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 406 PM PST FRI JAN 20 2012 .SYNOPSIS...A STRONG PACIFIC STORM WILL CROSS THE GREAT BASIN FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT PRODUCING HEAVY SNOWS IN THE MOUNTAINS ALONG WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS. SNOWS MAY ACCUMULATE IN THE VALLEYS AFFECTING TRAVEL. A BRIEF BREAK WILL OCCUR SUNDAY BUT ANOTHER STORM LOOMS ON THE HORIZON MONDAY. WINTER HAS RETURNED TO THE SILVER STATE. && .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. REGIONAL RADAR AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATING PATCHY WARM RAIN SHOWERS MOVING EAST ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN NEVADA. VISIBLE SATELLITE INDICATES THICKEST CLOUDS IN THE NORTHERN PART OF CWFA AND MORE PATCHY SOUTH. ALSO...WAVE CLOUDS QUITE PREVALENT OVER ENTIRE REGION...INDICATIVE OF STRONG WINDS ALOFT. CONDITIONS WEST OF THE REGION IN THE SIERRA ALSO SHOW EXTREMELY WARM AND MOIST CONDITIONS ALOFT WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINS IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. SOUTH PRE-FRONTAL WINDS PREVAIL OVER THE ENTIRE GREAT BASIN. TEMPERATURES ARE COLDER IN SOUTHEAST OREGON AND WINDS THERE ARE BEGINNING TO SHOW SIGNS OF THE GUSTINESS EXPECTED HERE TOMORROW. SHORT WAVE AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT EXPECTED THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. NAM12 SEEMED TO HAVE THE BEST HANDLE ON THE INITIAL CONDITIONS AND SO USED IT AS BASIS FOR QPF AND WINDS. HAVE CANCELED THE WINTER STORM WATCH PREVIOUSLY IN EFFECT AND ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR ALL BUT HUMBOLDT AND EASTERN ELKO COUNTIES AS CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THAT CRITERIA WILL BE MET ABOVE 6000 FEET. BELOW 6000 FEET...LOOK FOR RAIN/SNOW MIX UNTIL LATER TONIGHT WHEN IT TURNS TO SNOW. SOME ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED ON VALLEY FLOORS, BUT GIANT ACCUMULATIONS STILL EXPECTED ABOVE 7000 FEET. AS JET STREAK PASSES OVER SOUTHERN NYE COUNTY...A LITTLE INSTABILITY WILL DRIVE SOME POSSIBLE THUNDER MAY OCCUR SATURDAY AFTERNOON ENHANCING LOCALIZED ACCUMULATIONS BRIEFLY. MAY SEE SOME SNOW BANDING AS COLDEST AIR ALOFT MOVES OVERHEAD SATURDAY AFTERNOON. IF SO...IT WILL BE OVER NORTHERN NYE AND WHITE PINE COUNTIES MOST LIKELY. AS SHORT WAVE AND JETLET PASS OUT EAST...SNOW WILL TERMINATE ABRUPTLY SATURDAY NIGHT...AND WINDS WILL DECREASE. ISSUED WIND ADVISORY FOR HUMBOLDT AND EASTERN ELKO COUNTIES FOR SATURDAY. FOR REMAINDER OF AREA MENTIONED HIGHER WINDS IN WINTER STORM WARNING. .LONG TERM...SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH NEXT FRIDAY. NEAR-ZONAL FLOW SUNDAY MORNING WITH THE CWA GETTING A BRIEF BREAK BETWEEN STORM SYSTEMS. THERE WILL HOWEVER BE A MODERATELY STRONG FLOW ALOFT SUNDAY MORNING WITH SOME LIGHT TO MODERATE OMEGA AND VORTICITY COMBINING WITH LINGERING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. THIS COULD RESULT IN SOME MAINLY MOUNTAIN SHOWERS OVER NORTHERN AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NEVADA. ANOTHER SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST SUNDAY AFTERNOON BRINGING MORE SNOW TO THE REGION. WHILE MODELS ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT WITH THE FLOW ALOFT...THERE REMAIN SOME DISCREPANCIES AS TO WHERE THE GREATEST FRONTOGENESIS WILL SET UP SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY AS THE SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH. AT THIS TIME IS LOOKS LIKE VALLEY AREAS WILL RECEIVE BETWEEN A TRACE AND TWO INCHES OF NEW SNOW...WITH MOUNTAINS GETTING BETWEEN TWO AND FIVE INCHES OF NEW SNOW BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. SHOWERS DIMINISH ACROSS THE WEST MONDAY AFTERNOON BUT LINGER ON INTO THE EVENING ACROSS EASTERN AREAS. COLD DRY AIR MOVING IN FROM THE NORTH LATE MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON WILL RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN TEMPERATURES...ESPECIALLY WITH FRESH SNOW ON THE GROUND. A LITTLE WARMING WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY WITH JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE OF SHOWERS TO AREAS NORTH OF I80. && .AVIATION...RAIN SHOWERS WILL SPREAD INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST THIS EVENING AT KWMC AND KEKO...REACHING KELY AND KTPH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES WILL LOWER ACROSS THE REGION SATURDAY MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON AS SHOWERS TRANSITION TO SNOW. PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY AT ALL TAF SITES. NOT EXPECTING MUCH IF ANY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AT KWMC...KEKO OR KTPH HOWEVER. KELY HAS THE BEST CHANCE OF LOW IFR CONDITIONS SATURDAY...WITH A COUPLE INCHES OF NEW SNOW LIKELY BETWEEN 18Z SATURDAY...AND 00Z SUNDAY. GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO BE A CONCERN...WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS FROM 18Z SATURDAY ON INTO THE EARLY EVENING. GUSTS AS STRONG AS 35 TO 45 KNOTS WILL BE POSSIBLE SATURDAY AS THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. WIND AND SNOW AT KELY COULD LEAD TO PERIOD OF REDUCED VISIBILITY IN BLOWING SNOW. && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 1 AM TO 7 PM PST SATURDAY FOR NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY...NORTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND NORTHERN EUREKA COUNTY...NORTHERN NYE COUNTY...RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE...SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN EUREKA COUNTY... SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY...WHITE PINE COUNTY. WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM TO 7 PM PST SATURDAY FOR EXTREME EASTERN ELKO COUNTY...HUMBOLDT COUNTY. && 98/96/96
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 453 AM PST FRI JAN 20 2012 NVZ030-211300- HUMBOLDT COUNTY- 453 AM PST FRI JAN 20 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ANOTHER STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL BE ENTERING HUMBOLDT COUNTY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. RAIN IS EXPECTED IN THE VALLEYS AS SNOW LEVELS WILL BE ABOUT 6500 FEET. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. AS A COLD FRONT BEGINS TO GET ORGANIZED EARLY SATURDAY MORNING...SNOW LEVELS WILL BE LOWERING TO AROUND 5000 FEET. A RAIN AND SNOW SHOWER MIX IS EXPECTED BELOW THIS LEVEL. SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND TEMPERATURES WILL DIP INTO THE TEENS BY SUNDAY MORNING. THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM WILL BEGIN SPREADING SOME SHOWER ACTIVITY INTO WESTERN HUMBOLDT COUNTY BY MIDDAY SUNDAY. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING AND SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE DOWN TO THE VALLEY FLOORS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. NVZ013-031-032-034>037-211300- NORTHERN NYE COUNTY-NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY- SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY- RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE-WHITE PINE COUNTY- NORTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND NORTHERN EUREKA COUNTY- SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN EUREKA COUNTY- 453 AM PST FRI JAN 20 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. SHOWERS WILL BE TAPERING OFF THIS MORNING ACROSS EASTERN NEVADA. ANOTHER STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL BE ENTERING EASTERN AND CENTRAL NEVADA THIS EVENING. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT HIGH SO RAIN IS EXPECTED IN THE VALLEYS. SNOW LEVEL WILL LOWER TO AROUND 6500 FEET BY MIDNIGHT AND SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATION CAN BE EXPECTED ABOVE THAT LEVEL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. AS A COLD FRONT BEGINS TO GET ORGANIZED EARLY SATURDAY MORNING...SNOW LEVELS WILL BE LOWERING TO THE VALLEY FLOORS BY LATE AFTERNOON. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN AND SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED ABOVE 600O FEET...WITH A FEW INCHES BELOW 6000 FEET. SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF IN THE EVENING AND TEMPERATURES WILL DIP INTO THE TEENS BY SUNDAY MORNING. THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM WILL BEGIN SPREADING SOME LIGHT SHOWER ACTIVITY ACROSS THE AREA BY SUNDAY EVENING. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH MONDAY AND SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE DOWN TO THE VALLEY FLOORS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. NVZ033-211300- EXTREME EASTERN ELKO COUNTY- 453 AM PST FRI JAN 20 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SHOWERS WILL BE TAPERING OFF THIS MORNING ACROSS EASTERN NEVADA. ANOTHER STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL BE ENTERING EXTREME EASTERN ELKO COUNTY AFTER MIDNIGHT. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT HIGH SO ONLY SPRINKLES ARE EXPECTED BY DAYBREAK SATURDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. AS A COLD FRONT BEGINS TO GET ORGANIZED EARLY SATURDAY MORNING...SNOW LEVELS WILL BE LOWERING TO AROUND 5000 FEET BY LATE AFTERNOON. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL BE MOVING THROUGH EASTERN NEVADA AND LIGHT SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED. SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF IN THE EVENING AND TEMPERATURES WILL DIP INTO THE TEENS BY SUNDAY MORNING. THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM WILL BEGIN SPREADING SOME LIGHT SHOWER ACTIVITY ACROSS THE AREA BY DAYBREAK MONDAY. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH MONDAY AND SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE DOWN TO THE VALLEY FLOORS. .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.
3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
A winter storm brought 4 to 8 inches of snow to the valleys and 12 to 16 inches to the mountains.
Many SNOTEL sites reported 8 to 10 inches of new snow.
A winter storm brought 4 to 8 inches of snow to the valleys and 9 to 12 inches in the 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, January 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: 354900, 354896, 354902.