A spring storm brought heavy snow to portions of northern Nevada. In northern Elko county 10 to 20 inches were reported in the mountains and higher elevation valleys.
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 spring storm brought heavy snow to portions of northern Nevada. In northern Elko county 10 to 20 inches were reported in the mountains and higher elevation valleys. The Ruby Mountains and East Humboldt Range got up to a foot of snow.
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 24, 1:03 PM PST, 1 hour 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 203 PM PDT SUN APR 24 2016 .SYNOPSIS...A COUPLE MORE STORMS WILL IMPACT THE GREAT BASIN THIS WEEK. THE FIRST ONE IS BRINGING VALLEY RAINS THIS EVENING...WHICH WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW LATE TONIGHT. TRAVEL WILL BE IMPACTED MONDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON ON MANY SUMMITS AND HIGHER ELEVATION VALLEY AREAS. PRECIPITATION LATER THIS WEEK IS EXPECTED TO BE RAIN IN THE VALLEYS WITH MORE SNOW TO THE MOUNTAINS. && .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. TROUGH ENERGY DIGGING IN ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN TONIGHT INTO MONDAY WILL SPREAD MODERATE AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE ACROSS THE CWA BEFORE EXITING TO THE EAST MONDAY EVENING. EXPECT VALLEY RAINS THIS EVENING TO CHANGE OVER TO SNOW LATE TONIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING DOWN TO AROUND 4500 FEET...WHICH WILL MEAN ALL BUT THE LOWEST VALLEY LOCATIONS. NOT EXPECTING MUCH IF ANY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ON ROADWAYS BELOW 5500 FEET UNLESS A HEAVY SNOW SHOWER DEVELOPS...ALTHOUGH GRASS AND OTHER SLIGHTLY COOLER SURFACES MAY SEE SOME ACCUMULATIONS. MOST VALLEY LOCATIONS WITH ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5500 FEET SHOULD SEE 1-5 INCHES OF SNOW BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. LOCATIONS ALONG THE NORTHERN SLOPES OF MOUNTAINS SUCH AS SPRING CREEK IN ELKO COUNTY MAY SEE HIGHER SNOW AMOUNTS DUE TO UPSLOPE ENHANCEMENT WITH THE NORTHERLY WINDS. AS FOR NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY AND THE RUBY MOUNTAINS...THE WINTER WEATHER WATCHES HAVE BEEN ELEVATED TO WINTER STORM WARNINGS...WITH SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS TO THE TIMING OF THE EVENT. ADDITIONALLY...WIND ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR HUMBOLDT AND NORTHWESTERN NYE COUNTIES FOR MOST OF THE DAY ON MONDAY AS NORTHWESTERLY WINDS RISE WITH THE TIGHTENING OF SURFACE GRADIENTS ALONG WITH MID-LEVEL WINDS MIXING DOWN. SHOWERS TAPER OFF MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY AS NORTHWESTERLY FLOW MOVES IN OVER THE GREAT BASIN. BY TUESDAY NIGHT ANOTHER TROUGH WILL DIG IN ALONG THE WEST COAST...WITH MORE PRECIPITATION MOVING INTO NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEVADA WEDNESDAY. THIS NEXT SYSTEM WILL BE WARMER HOWEVER...WITH MOST VALLEY PRECIPITATION FALLING AS RAIN. MOUNTAINS WILL SEE MORE SNOW. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH NEXT SUNDAY THE PERIOD LOOKS UNSETTLED WITH BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES. MODEL AGREEMENT IS OK ON THE OVERALL PATTERN BUT STILL DISAGREE ON SYNOPTIC AND MESOSCALE DETAILS. SPECIFICALLY...AS A 500MB SHORTWAVE RIDGE EXISTS THE STATE...ANOTHER SYSTEM DIVES SOUTH ALONG THE SIERRAS MTNS...FORMING ANOTHER 500MB CLOSED LOW OVER SOUTHWESTERN NV BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WITH THE APPARENT SFC LOW NEAR VEGAS. THIS WILL SPREAD PRECIP IN THE WESTERN AREAS BEGINNING WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...PUSHING EASTWARD ACROSS CENTRAL NEVADA WEDNESDAY NIGHT. BY THURSDAY...ANOTHER SHORT WAVE WILL DIVE SOUTH INTO THE BASE OF THE TROF...WHICH IN TURN DIGS THE MAIN 500MB LOW SOUTHEAST INTO NORTHERN AZ. THERE ARE DISAGREEMENTS ON HOW FAR SOUTHWARD THIS SHORTWAVE WILL GO..AND THEREFORE WHERE THE 500MB LOW ENDS UP BY THURSDAY EVENING. ADDITIONALLY...THEY ALSO DISAGREE AND FAR WESTWARD THE 500MB CLOSED LOW FROM THE SYSTEM THAT JUST HIT THE STATE ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY GETS PULL BACKWARDS INTO MONTANA. DESPITE THESE DISAGREEMENTS...CENTRAL NV WILL SEE THE GREATEST IMPACT FROM THE SYSTEM WITH SOME AREAS PICKING UP OVER 1 INCH OR MORE OF EQUIVALENT PRECIP WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. TOO EARLY TO SAY WHERE THE FRONTAL OR WRAP AROUND BAND WILL SET UP...BUT LIKELY SOMEWHERE IN NE NYE OR WHITE PINE COUNTY AREAS. THE OTHER CHALLENGE WITH THIS SYSTEM IS SNOW LEVELS. IT CURRENTLY LOOKS WARMER THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE SO ELEVATIONS BELOW 6500 FT SHOULD SEE ALL RAIN; HOWEVER...SOME WINTER HEADLINES ARE LIKELY REQUIRED FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS INCLUDING SOME SUMMITS. FURTHER NORTH...SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY WITH MUCH LIGHT AMOUNTS OF QPF. WRAP AROUND MOISTURE FROM THE TWO 500MB LOWS TO THE EAST CONTINUE THE SHOWER CHANCES IN EASTERN NV ON FRIDAY...ALBEIT LESS THAN ON THURSDAY. WESTERN AREAS ARE LIKELY TO REMAIN DRY WITH SLIGHTLY WARMER TEMPS ON FRIDAY. BY SATURDAY...A WEAK FRONTAL SYSTEM DIGS SOUTHEAST INTO NORTHERN NV UNDERNEATH THE NW FLOW ALOFT...PRODUCING SOME SHOWERS ONCE AGAIN IN MAINLY EASTERN NV. FINALLY...ON SUNDAY..THIS FRONTAL SYSTEM DEVELOPS ANOTHER CLOSED 500MB LOW...BUT THIS TIME ITS IN UTAH SO THE EFFECTS ARE MINIMAL WITH MAINLY KEEPING SFC AND FLOW ALOFT OUT OF THE NORTH OR NORTHWEST ON SUNDAY WITH A SHOWER OR TWO ALONG THE UT/NV BORDER. AS FOR TEMPS...MAINLY 40S AND 50S ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY UNDER QUITE A BIT OF CLOUD COVER AND PRECIP BEFORE WARMING TO NEAR OR IN THE 60S ON FRIDAY. UPPER 50S TO UPPER 60S ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WITH A FEW LOCATIONS HITTING THE 70S IN NW NYE AND NW HUMBOLDT COUNTY ON SUNDAY. && .AVIATION...DETERIORATING CONDITIONS THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT FOR ALL SITES. SHOWERS AND/OR PERIODS OF RAIN SHOULD HIT KWMC FIRST BEFORE KELY AND KEKO EXPERIENCE LATER TONIGHT AS CIGS LOWER TO MVFR...AND EVENTUALLY IFR. CHANGE OVER TO SNOW IS NOT EXPECTED TO OCCUR UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING FOR KELY AND KEKO; HOWEVER...NO ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED ON RUNWAYS DUE TO WARM SURFACES AND AIR TEMP REMAINING SLIGHTLY ABOVE FREEZING. AS FOR KWMC AND KTPH...SNOW IS NOT EXPECTED...HOWEVER THE NORTHERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD...HITTING 30 MPH SUSTAIN BY EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. AS EXPECTED...ICING AND TURBULENCE WILL ALSO BE AN ISSUE ALOFT. && .HYDROLOGY...RIVERS CREEKS AND STREAMS HAVE BEEN FLOWING WITHOUT MUCH INCIDENT THIS SPRING SEASON AND IT HAS BEEN NICE TO HAVE THE WATER BACK. HOWEVER WITH THE EXPECTED NEW SNOWFALL...PERIODS OF RAIN ON SNOW...AND PROJECTED WARMER TEMPERATURES BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...SOME CREEKS RUNNING OFF THE MOUNTAINS MAY EXCEED BANK-FULL. LAMOILLE CREEK AND MARTIN CREEK ARE TWO NAMED CREEKS TO WATCH IF SNOW-MELT ESCALATES HOWEVER THERE ARE NUMEROUS SMALL CHANNELS ORIGINATING IN THE MOUNTAINS THAT MAY CAUSE FLOODING ISSUES OR SOGGY ROADWAYS. && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 PM PDT MONDAY FOR NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY-RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE. WIND ADVISORY FROM 9 AM TO 5 PM PDT MONDAY FOR HUMBOLDT COUNTY. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 3 AM TO 3 PM PDT MONDAY FOR NORTHEASTERN NYE COUNTY-NORTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND NORTHERN EUREKA COUNTY-SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY-SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN EUREKA COUNTY-SOUTHWESTERN ELKO COUNTY-WHITE PINE COUNTY. WIND ADVISORY FROM 5 AM TO 11 PM PDT MONDAY FOR NORTHWESTERN NYE COUNTY. && 96/85/85
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV 233 PM PDT MON APR 24 2016 NVZ030-031-033>041-251200- HUMBOLDT COUNTY-NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY-SOUTHEASTERN ELKO COUNTY- RUBY MOUNTAINS/EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE-WHITE PINE COUNTY- NORTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND NORTHERN EUREKA COUNTY- SOUTHERN LANDER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN EUREKA COUNTY- SOUTHWESTERN ELKO COUNTY-SOUTH CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY- NORTHWESTERN NYE COUNTY-NORTHEASTERN NYE COUNTY- 233 PM PDT MON APR 24 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NEVADA...NORTH CENTRAL NEVADA...NORTHEAST NEVADA...NORTHWEST NEVADA AND SOUTH CENTRAL NEVADA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WRAP AROUND MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE AREAS OF RAIN AND SNOW WITH ACCUMULATIONS LIKELY IN NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY...RUBY MOUNTAINS.. AND WHITE PINE COUNTY...WITH ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE ABOVE 5500 FEET IN REMAINDER OF ELKO COUNTY. VERY STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS SHOULD CONTINUE IN NORTHERN NYE COUNTY...THEREFORE WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THE NIGHT. . .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. RAIN AND SNOW CONTINUE ON TUESDAY WITH ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATION IN THE MORNING. THERE IS ANOTHER STORM EXPECTED TO BRING MORE PRECIPITATION WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THIS ONE TAKES AIM AT CENTRAL NEVADA WITH SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION ABOVE 7500 FEET. A THIRD WEAKER SYSTEM MAY HIT EASTERN NEVADA ON SATURDAY WITH MORE MOUNTAIN SNOW AND VALLEY RAIN. ADDITIONALLY...WITH A SUBSTANTIAL LATE SEASON SNOWPACK...POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL RAIN AND SNOW...AND WARMER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED...THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SOME FLOODING ISSUES AS STREAMS FLOW STRONG OFF THE MOUNTAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT WEATHER PHENOMENA ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. GB
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Wild Horse Reservoir reported 14 inches of new snow. Many SNOTEL sites received between 10 and 20 inches of snow.
Up to a foot of snow was reported by SNOTEL sites.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, April 2016
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: 623697, 623700.