A strong cold front produced wind gusts up to 70 mph across portions of northern and central Nevada.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 produced wind gusts up to 70 mph across portions of northern and central 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 Apr 14, 1:00 AM PST, 6 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 200 AM PDT TUE APR 14 2015 .SYNOPSIS...A STRONG PACIFIC STORM WILL BRING VERY STRONG GUSTY WINDS TO NEVADA TODAY...ALONG WITH SNOW SHOWERS AND DRAMATICALLY COLDER TEMPERATURES. WEDNESDAY WILL REMAIN CHILLY...WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY MORNINGS. A RAPID WARMING TREND IS ON TAP THURSDAY THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. && .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY. WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES! POWERFUL, WELL ADVERTISED COLD FRONT PUNCHING THROUGH NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AS OF MIDNIGHT. STILL EXPECT COLD FRONT TO CLEAR WINNEMUCCA BY 5 AM, AND ELKO AND SPRING CREEK ABOUT 7 AM. COLD FRONT WILL CLEAR THE ENTIRE CWA BY NOON. WIND GUSTS OF 45-55 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE. POST-FRONTAL PRESSURE GRADIENT BY MID-MORNING IS ALSO VERY IMPRESSIVE, AND WILL SUPPORT ADVISORY CRITERIA WINDS FOR MOST LOCATIONS. A HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA WIND GUST (58 MPH) COULD OCCUR ANYWHERE ACROSS NEVADA TODAY AND TONIGHT, BUT THE HIGHEST CONFIDENCE OF POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS IS ACROSS SE ELKO COUNTY AND NW NYE COUNTY, WHERE GUSTS OF 65-70 MPH ARE EXPECTED. DESPITE THE LESS THAN FAVORABLE MORNING FRONTAL PASSAGE, WIDESPREAD BLOWING DUST LIKELY ACROSS ESPECIALLY CENTRAL NEVADA BY NOON. BY MID-MORNING, INTENSE VORT MAX WILL SWING TO A POSITION NEAR LOVELOCK, AND DYNAMIC LIFT AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE WILL BE STRONG. AS SUCH, EXPECT NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS TO SPREAD ACROSS NORTHERN NEVADA THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. INCREASED SNOW COVERAGE IN THE GRIDS TO 100%. DO NOT SEE THE NEED FOR A WINTER WEATHER HEADLINE AT THIS TIME, WITH WARM ROAD/GROUND TEMPERATURES (IT WAS 76 DEGREES AT ELKO YESTERDAY). THAT SAID, STRONG SNOW SQUALLS WILL TEAM UP WITH WIND GUSTS NEAR 45 MPH TO SERIOUSLY REDUCE VISIBILITY AT TIMES. HIGHER PASSES AND SUMMITS MAY SEE BRIEF SLUSHY ACCUMULATIONS DURING THE HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS. 00Z GFS OFFERS THE MOST ROBUST SNOW AMOUNTS TODAY, AND IS LIKELY OVERDONE GIVEN THE FAST STORM MOVEMENT AND WARM GROUND. USED A TONED DOWN VERSION OF THE GFS QPF IN THE GRIDS, WITH SNOWFALL OF 1/2 TO 1 INCH FOR MOST NORTHERN NEVADA VALLEYS. NW UPSLOPE LOCATIONS, SUCH AS EASTERN SPRING CREEK AND LAMOILLE, MAY BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE OUT 2-3 INCHES IN SPOTS. INTENSE COLD POOL ALOFT ROTATES OVER NE NEVADA THIS AFTERNOON, WITH 500 MB TEMPS OF -33C, GENERATING CAPE UP TO 200 J/KG, EVEN WITH SURFACE TEMPERATURES CRASHING. ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO CONTINUE MENTIONING ISOLATED THUNDER ACROSS ELKO COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON. ALSO, INSTABILITY PROGS SUPPORT MENTIONING THUNDER TODAY NEAR GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK AT TIME OF FROPA. MAIN IMPACT TO NEVADA TODAY WILL BE THE COMBINATION OF WIND AND COLD, AND THE DRAMATIC CHANGE FROM MONDAY. COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY, WITH TEMPERATURES SHOWING A NON-DIURNAL FALL DURING THE AFTERNOON. EXPECT WIND CHILLS IN THE 20S THIS AFTERNOON, A FAR CRY FROM YESTERDAY'S 70S. STRONG PROGRESSIVE SHORTWAVE EVOLVES INTO A CLOSED 549 DM LOW OVER NE ELKO COUNTY THIS EVENING, AND SINKS SOUTH AND STRENGTHENS TO A 547 DM LOW NEAR SALT LAKE CITY 5 AM WEDNESDAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL GRADUALLY WIND DOWN ACROSS EASTERN NEVADA DURING THIS TIME, WITH COLD NORTHERLY FLOW. EVEN WITH CLOUDS PERSISTING ACROSS NE NEVADA, COLD ADVECTION ALONE WILL DRIVE TEMPERATURES TO THE UPPER TEENS AND LOWER 20S BY SUNRISE WEDNESDAY. WINDS WILL SUBSIDE OVERNIGHT FOR MOST ZONES, BUT A HIGH WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FROM THE LEE OF THE RUBY MOUNTAINS TO SE ELKO COUNTY, WHERE HIGH WIND WARNINGS WILL CONTINUE. 00Z MET CONTINUES TO CRANK OUT 48 MPH /SUSTAINED/ AT WENDOVER THIS EVENING, AND 00Z MAV OFFERS 43 MPH SUSTAINED OVERNIGHT AT WENDOVER. AGAIN, POTENTIAL FOR WIND DAMAGE EXISTS AT AND NEAR WEST WENDOVER TODAY AND TONIGHT. WEDNESDAY...UNSEASONABLY CHILLY, WITH MOST LOCATIONS STUCK IN THE 40S. NW WINDS WILL REMAIN BRISK, IN RESPONSE TO UPPER LOW SITTING NEAR MOAB UTAH BY 5 PM. WINDS WILL AVERAGE 15-30 MPH, WITH THE STRONGEST GUSTS ACROSS THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN ZONES. WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY MORNING...HARD FREEZE EXPECTED, WITH MOST VALLEYS WELL DOWN INTO THE TEENS. 00Z GFS PLACES A 1030 MB SURFACE HIGH NEAR EUREKA AT 5 AM THURSDAY, ENCOURAGING STRONG RADIATIONAL COOLING AND A HARD FREEZE FOR MANY ZONES. THURSDAY...SUNNY AND WARMER, WITH NW WINDS CONTINUING TO DIMINISH. THE BEGINNING OF A STRONG WARMING TREND, WITH MID 50S TO MID 60S BY AFTERNOON. TURNER .LONG TERM...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY. MODELS NOT IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH MOST OF THE LONG TERM PERIOD...AND THEY GET WORSE WITH TIME. GFS IS THE MOST ROBUST WITH SOME MOISTURE NOW AND THEN AND SEEMS TO HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB THAN THE EURO OF LATE...THEREFORE LEANING TOWARD THE GFS. HOWEVER...LOW TO MIDDLE CONFIDENCE IN ENTIRE PERIOD. BECAUSE OF TIMING...ORIENTATION...AND OTHER ISSUES HAVE DONE LITTLE TO CHANGE THE PREVIOUS FORECAST PACKAGE. IT'S APRIL AND SO THERE IS GOING TO BE SOME VARIABILITY IN THE FORECAST. BIGGEST CHANGE TO PREVIOUS PACKAGE IS THE INTRODUCTION OF A STORM LATE NEXT WEDNESDAY WHICH...ADMITTEDLY...IS NOT EVEN PART OF THIS PACKAGE. BUT WE SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON THIS THING. IF IT DEVELOPS...AND THE GFS HAS ITS INFLUENCE FURTHER SOUTH INTO NORTHERN NEVADA WHILE THE EURO HAS IT NORTH INTO THE PAC NW AND NORTHERN ROCKIES...THEN NORTHERN NEVADA WOULD SEE A SIGNIFICANT COOLING WITH AMPLE MOISTURE ON *NEXT* WEDNESDAY...DAY 8. POSSIBLE THUNDERSNOW EVENT. ALSO...WINDY WITH A SURFACE IN SOUTHERN IDAHO AND LOTS OF ISOBARS IN A SMALL AREA. STAY TUNED BECAUSE THE GFS IS THE ONLY ONE SHOWING NOW. BB && .AVIATION...A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL RACE NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST TUESDAY...BRINGING MODERATE TO STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS TO THE ENTIRE REGION THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. CEILINGS LOWER BEHIND THE FRONTAL PASSAGE WITH SNOW SHOWERS MOVING NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ACROSS NEVADA THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE LIGHT...HOWEVER BLOWING SNOW AND/OR DUST MAY REDUCE VISIBILITIES PERIODICALLY...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND JUST BEHIND THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. OPERATIONAL ISSUES...AIR FIELDS SHOULD NOT SEE MUCH ACCUMULATION OF SNOW...BUT...ANY OBJECTS INCLUDING SMALL AIRCRAFT NOT TIED DOWN COULD VERY WELL SAIL AWAY. CONDITIONS IMPROVE AROUND SUNSET. BB && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM 5 AM EARLY THIS MORNING TO 7 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY-NORTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND NORTHERN EUREKA COUNTY-RUBY MOUNTAINS AND EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE- SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN EUREKA COUNTY-SOUTHWEST ELKO COUNTY. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR HUMBOLDT COUNTY. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 AM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR SOUTHEASTERN ELKO COUNTY. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR NORTHEASTERN NYE COUNTY-WHITE PINE COUNTY. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 5 AM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR NORTHWESTERN NYE COUNTY. && 99/98/98
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds ahead of a strong cold front gusted up to 70 mph. The strong winds damaged a patio awning at the Hotel Nevada in Ely. Damages are estimated.
Wind gusts up to 67 mph were reported in Ruby and Clover Valleys on the lee side of the Ruby Mountains and East Humboldt Range.
Wind gusts of 60 mph were reported in Tonopah.
A wind gust to 69 mph was reported in West Wendover and a gust to 60 mph at the Spring Gulch RAWS site. The strong winds caused the driver of a semi to lose control of his vehicle causing the semi to travel off the south edge of Interstate 80 through the desert and eventually overturning on West Wendover Boulevard. The driver was injured and transported to the hospital.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, April 2015
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: 563493, 563467, 563494, 563468.