A strong storm system brought heavy snow to much of northern Nevada along with strong gusty winds. Some valleys received 6 to 7 inches of snow with over a foot in the mountains.
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 strong storm system brought heavy snow to much of northern Nevada along with strong gusty winds. Some valleys received 6 to 7 inches of snow with over a foot in the mountains.
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 28, 2:00 AM PST, 6 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 200 AM PST MON JAN 28 2013 .SYNOPSIS...AFTER A SHORT BREAK OF DRY WEATHER THIS MORNING...SNOW WILL REDEVELOP ACROSS NORTHERN NEVADA THIS AFTERNOON. WIDESPREAD SNOW AND AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ARE EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHERN NEVADA TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. SIGNIFICANT TRAVEL IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED...PARTICULARLY FOR THE TUESDAY MORNING COMMUTE. && .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. ...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ON THE WAY TO NORTHERN NEVADA... A TEMPORARY LULL IN THE ACTIVE WINTER WEATHER PATTERN AS TROUGH AXIS CLEARS THE UT/NV LINE THIS MORNING. SINKING AIR BEHIND THE TROUGH PASSAGE IS ERODING THE CLOUDS ACROSS NEVADA THIS MORNING WITH WINNEMUCCA REPORTING CLEAR SKIES. THIS TREND WILL NOT LAST LONG WITH CLOUDS QUICKLY THICKENING AND LOWERING ACROSS NW NEVADA THIS MORNING. EXPECTING WARM AIR ADVECTION AND OVERRUNNING TO KICK INTO FULL GEAR BY 4 PM...WITH OVERCAST SKIES AND SNOW REDEVELOPING PRIMARILY NORTH OF I-80. TONIGHT...SNOW AND WIND BOTH INCREASE AS STRONG JET STREAM ENERGY DIVES INTO NORTHERN NEVADA. LIFT WILL BE INTENSE THROUGH A SATURATED ATMOSPHERE WITH STRONG OMEGA CORRELATED WITH THE DENDRITIC GROWTH ZONE...AS SHOWN BY 00Z GFS CROSS SECTIONS OVER NORTHERN NEVADA. WIDESPREAD SNOW PRODUCTION IS EXPECTED AND RAISED SNOW COVERAGE IN THE GRIDS TO 100% FOR MUCH OF ELKO AND NE HUMBOLDT COUNTIES. WINDS WILL BE INCREASING WITH TIME TONIGHT AS 700 MB WINDS REACH 50-60 KTS BY SUNRISE TUESDAY. EXPECT WINDS TO AVERAGE 15 TO 30 MPH ACROSS NORTHERN NEVADA...WITH MUCH HIGHER GUSTS ON THE HIGHER TERRAIN...WITH BLOWING SNOW INCREASING BY TUESDAY'S MORNING COMMUTE. TUESDAY...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL ADVERSELY AFFECT THE MORNING COMMUTE. THE WORST CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY WHERE THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL OVERLAP THE STRONGEST WIND ENERGY. GFS HAS BEEN AMAZINGLY CONSISTENT FORECASTING THIS EVENT...AND THE 00Z GFS FORECASTS QPF OF .90 INCH AT WILDHORSE WITH A BOUNDARY LAYER AVERAGE WIND OF 27 KTS TUESDAY. USING AT LEAST A 15:1 FLUFFY SNOW RATIO...HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT FAVORED PORTIONS OF NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY WILL RECEIVE OVER A FOOT OF SNOW. HIGHEST AMOUNTS ON NW-FACING SLOPES. FOR ZONE 031...THE SNOW ALONE WOULD CLEARLY SUPPORT A WINTER STORM WATCH ISSUANCE. THE WINDS ARE THE GAME CHANGER. 00Z GFS BUFR SOUNDINGS FOR WILDHORSE REVEAL 45 KTS OF WIND AT 1000 FT TUESDAY MORNING...WHILE THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS FALLING. THUS OPTED TO ISSUE A BLIZZARD WATCH FOR NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY 4 PM MONDAY - 4 PM TUESDAY. TRAVEL IS HIGHLY DISCOURAGED...ESPECIALLY ON U.S. HIGHWAY 93...AND MAY BECOME IMPOSSIBLE IN SOME AREAS. ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR SW AND SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY...ALSO FROM 4 PM TODAY THROUGH 4 PM TUESDAY. ALTHOUGH NOT AS IMPRESSIVE AS NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY...MODELS CRANK OUT ROBUST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS IN THESE ZONES OF 4 TO 8 INCHES. HIGHEST AMOUNTS WILL FAVOR NW-FACING SLOPES /SUCH AS SPRING CREEK/. ELKO IS NOT FAVORED IN NW FLOW...EXPECT LESSER AMOUNTS HERE OF 4-5 INCHES. GUSTY WEST WINDS WILL CREATE AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND AREAS OF DRASTICALLY REDUCED VISIBILITY. WINTER STORM WATCH ISSUED FOR THE RUBY MOUNTAINS AND EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE WHICH LOOK TO BE CLOBBERED IN THIS SYNOPTIC SETUP. PROLONGED NW FLOW PERPENDICULAR TO THE MOUNTAINS WILL MAXIMIZE OROGRAPHIC LIFT. PLACED ONE TO TWO FEET IN THE SNOW AMOUNT GRIDS. THIS COMBINED WITH WIND GUSTS OVER 60 MPH. IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING...TRAVEL INTO THE RUBIES THROUGH TUESDAY IS NOT ADVISED. REGARDING HUMBOLDT AND NORTHERN LANDER/EUREKA COUNTIES...A MORE DIFFICULT CALL TO MAKE HERE. CLEARLY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL OCCUR IN THESE ZONES...WITH THE WORST CONDITIONS FAVORING THE NE PORTIONS OF THE ZONES. SNOW AMOUNTS LOOK TO BE A BIT LESS...AROUND 3-6 INCHES...BUT WINDS ALOFT ARE ACTUALLY STRONGER. FELT IT WAS PRUDENT TO PLACE THESE ZONES IN A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR NOW AND LET THE DAY SHIFT DECIDE IF THEY REQUIRE A WARNING...OR MORE LIKELY A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW/BLOWING SNOW. FOR THE REMAINING ZONES...ZONE 033 /WEST WENDOVER/ IS STRONGLY UNFAVORED IN NW DOWNSLOPE FLOW...SO EXCLUDED THAT ZONE FROM WATCH. NO HEADLINES WILL BE NEEDED FOR NORTHERN NYE. COULD CONCEIVABLY NEED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW/BLOWING SNOW FROM EUREKA TO ELY THROUGH TUESDAY...FOR 1-3 INCHES WITH THE HIGHEST IMPACTS NORTH OF U.S. HIGHWAY 50. SNOW WILL RAPIDLY TAPER OFF TO FLURRIES TUESDAY EVENING WITH DIMINISHING WINDS. A FEW LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS ELKO COUNTY WEDNESDAY BUT WITH NO IMPACTS. TURNER .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT SUNDAY. THE MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH MOST OF THE LONG TERM PERIOD. A HIGH-AMPLITUDE PACIFIC RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE...CENTERED APPROXIMATELY 600 MILES WEST OF CENTRAL CALIFORNIA WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WILL BECOME PROGRESSIVE AND SLOWLY MOVE EAST TO ACCOMPLISH AXIS RELOCATION THROUGH NEVADA BY SATURDAY MORNING. THE ECMWF DEPARTS SOLUTION THEREAFTER FROM THE OTHER MODELS...PREFERRING TO DEVELOP A STRONGER PACIFIC TROUGH THAT COULD HALT THE EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF THE RIDGE. THIS PATTERN OF PRIMARILY RIDGING WILL LEAD TO A MOSTLY DRY FORECAST WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NE NEVADA WHERE A COUPLE WEAK SHORTWAVES COULD SKIP THROUGH THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE RIDGE PRIOR TO THE WEEKEND. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM THE 30S TO AROUND 40 DEGREES. LOW TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE TEENS. && .AVIATION...A VERY STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING WIND AND SNOW TO ALL OF THE GREAT BASIN. SNOW WILL BEGIN TO ACCUMULATE ACROSS NORTHERN NEVADA THIS AFTERNOON THEN SPREAD TO CENTRAL NEVADA OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. WIDESPREAD STRONG WINDS WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IS EXPECTED TUESDAY. NEAR-ZERO VISIBILITY CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE AT TIMES AT KEKO. KEKO. VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD HOLD THROUGH 22Z MONDAY. VLIFR VIS AND CIG CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. KWMC. VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD HOLD THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY. KELY. VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD HOLD THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY. KTPH. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY. && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... BLIZZARD WATCH FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR HUMBOLDT COUNTY...NORTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND NORTHERN EUREKA COUNTY. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY...SOUTHWESTERN ELKO COUNTY. && 99/92/92
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 215 AM PST MON JAN 28 2013 NVZ031-291200- NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY- 215 AM PST MON JAN 28 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. SNOW WILL REDEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON. WIDESPREAD SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW IS EXPECTED TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. A BLIZZARD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM TODAY THROUGH 4 PM TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. NVZ030-034-036-038-039-291200- HUMBOLDT COUNTY-RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE- NORTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND NORTHERN EUREKA COUNTY- SOUTHWESTERN ELKO COUNTY-SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY- 215 AM PST MON JAN 28 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NEVADA...NORTHEAST NEVADA AND NORTHWEST NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. SNOW WILL REDEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON. WIDESPREAD SNOW AND AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM TODAY THROUGH 4 PM TUESDAY. .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.
2 heavy snow, 1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Winnemucca received 7 inches of snow and over a foot fell in the mountains.
In Pine Valley 8 inches of snow was reported. The Lewis Peak SNOTEL also received 8 inches of snow.
A storm system brought heavy snow and strong winds to northern Elko county. Frequent winds gust of 35 to 45 mph were widespread. Many valley locations received 6 to 7 inches of snow while the mountains had 1 to 2 feet.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, January 2013
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: 422327, 422329, 422333.