Fast-moving low pressure moved through northern Nevada on the 15th, bringing heavy snow to the higher elevations of the Virginia Range.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 REV wrote it up.
Fast-moving low pressure moved through northern Nevada on the 15th, bringing heavy snow to the higher elevations of the Virginia Range.
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 Reno, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 14, 5:32 PM PST, 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
532 PM PST THU JAN 14 2016
.UPDATE...
QUICK UPDATE TO ADJUST SNOW LEVELS DOWNWARD OVERNIGHT. THEY ARE
ALREADY RUNNING 4-4500 FEET ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 50 SO KEPT
THEM NEAR OR BELOW THE VALLEY FLOORS. THIS REALLY DID NOT CHANGE
THE OVERALL FORECAST MUCH, BUT IT DOWN BRING PERHAPS AN INCH DOWN
THE VALLEY FLOORS AROUND RENO. THIS BETTER MATCHES THE OVERALL
THINKING ANYWAY. OTHERWISE THE STORM SEEMS TO BE TRACKING AS
EXPECTED AND THE CURRENT ADVISORIES FOR SNOW AND WIND LOOK ON
TRACK. WALLMANN
&&
.SYNOPSIS...
A SERIES OF STORM SYSTEMS WILL IMPACT THE SIERRA AND WESTERN
NEVADA THROUGH NEXT WEEK WITH PERIODS OF GUSTY WINDS...MOUNTAIN
SNOW AND VALLEY RAIN. THE NEXT STORM WILL BRING MODERATE AMOUNTS
OF SNOWFALL TO NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA, NORTHWEST NEVADA AND THE LAKE
TAHOE REGION THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. A WETTER STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE
INTO THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT. DETAILS ARE NOT CLEAR AT THIS TIME,
BUT THIS STORM COULD LINGER THROUGH MID WEEK AND PRODUCE
SUBSTANTIAL SNOW IN THE SIERRA.
&&
.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 302 PM PST THU JAN 14 2016/
SHORT TERM...
THE NEXT IN THIS CURRENT SERIES OF STORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE
REGION LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY. THE FORECAST MODELS HAVE
BEEN TRENDING A LITTLE HIGHER WITH PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS FOR
TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY IN THE TAHOE BASIN. THE AMOUNTS WERE RAISED
IN THE FORECAST BUT NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE A SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCE
TO TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATION...ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT SNOW LEVELS MAY
START A LITTLE HIGHER AND SNOW RATIOS COULD BE A LITTLE LOWER.
OVERALL THIS STILL LOOKS LIKE A SOLID ADVISORY EVENT FROM TAHOE
NORTH WITH LESSER AMOUNTS SOUTH INTO MONO COUNTY AND INTO WESTERN
NEVADA.
GUSTY WINDS ARE DEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON EAST OF THE SIERRA
AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM AS H700 WINDS INCREASE TO AROUND 55-60 KNOTS.
THESE WINDS MAY PERIODICALLY MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE SURFACE AS A
WEAK CRITICAL LAYER DEVELOPS REACHING 55 TO 65 MPH...WITH THE
HIGHEST IN WIND PRONE AREAS.
A BRIEF BREAK DEVELOPS LATE FRIDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM. THIS
ONE HAS EVOLVED INTO A FASTER MOVING SYSTEM WITH LESS MOISTURE SO
TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS SHOULD BE LESS. WE COULD STILL DEVELOP RATHER
GUSTY WINDS IN THE LEE OF THE SIERRA BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS ONCE
AGAIN H700 WINDS INCREASE TO NEAR 50 KNOTS AND A BRIEF DOWNSLOPE
SIGNATURE DEVELOPS DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS BEFORE PRECIPITATION
SPILLS BRIEFLY INTO WESTERN NEVADA.
SNOW LEVELS COULD RISE RATHER DRAMATICALLY WITH THE SATURDAY
SYSTEM. WITH GOOD MIXING AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM IT IS POSSIBLE WE
COULD SEE SNOW LEVELS IN THE SIERRA RISE TO NEAR 6500-7000 FEET
BRIEFLY BEFORE FALLING AGAIN BY SATURDAY EVENING. THIS WOULD ALSO
HELP TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF SNOW ACCUMULATION. WE ARE NOT
EXPECTING MORE THAN ABOUT 2 INCHES IN THE SIERRA VALLEYS AROUND
TAHOE WITH THIS SYSTEM AND EVEN LESS TO THE NORTH ACROSS NORTHEAST
CALIFORNIA. NEAR THE CREST 4 TO 6 INCHES IS POSSIBLE.
WITH MIXING AHEAD OF THE STORM SATURDAY DAY TIME HIGH TEMPERATURES
EAST OF THE SIERRA COULD SPIKE TO ABOVE NORMAL WITH UPPER 40S TO
LOWER 50S WHILE HIGHS HIT THE LOWER 40S IN THE SIERRA VALLEYS. XX
LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...
AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES WITH SEVERAL SYSTEMS POSSIBLE
FOR THE LONG TERM PERIOD AS A STRONG PACIFIC JET STREAM PUSHES
MOISTURE INTO THE WEST. THE MOST INTERESTING PERIOD RIGHT NOW IS THE
SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY TIME FRAME WHEN THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN
ATMOSPHERIC RIVER TO BRING A MULTI-DAY PRECIPITATION EVENT. HOWEVER,
THERE IS ALSO SOME FORECAST GUIDANCE SHOWING THIS MOISTURE MAY COME
INTO THE WEST IN MULTIPLE PIECES INSTEAD OF A CONSOLIDATED STREAM.
THIS WOULD MEAN 2-3 WET PERIODS WITH ABOUT 6-12 HOUR BREAKS IN
BETWEEN EACH PIECE. THE OTHER QUESTION REMAINS SNOW LEVELS,
HOWEVER, CURRENTLY THEY LOOK TO BE AROUND 6000-7000 FEET FOR THE
EVENT, WHICH WOULD MEAN HEAVY WET SNOW FOR THE SIERRA AND RAIN FOR
THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. OVERALL CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THIS WILL BE A
WET PERIOD, BUT LOWER IN THE EXACT TRACK AND DETAILS AND THEREFORE
EXACT PRECIPITATION TOTALS.
AT THIS TIME, FORECAST MODELS ARE SHOWING THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR A
DRY PERIOD THE UPCOMING WEEK BEING AROUND THE WEDNESDAY INTO EARLY
THURSDAY TIME FRAME. THIS IS FOLLOWED BY A POTENTIALLY COLDER WINTER
SYSTEM FOR LATE THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. THE BIGGEST TAKE-A-WAY FOR THE
WEEK AHEAD IS THAT TRAVEL IN THE SIERRA IS LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED
THROUGHOUT THE WEEK BY HEAVY WET SNOW. DJ
AVIATION...
ANOTHER WINTER STORM IS BEGINNING TO PUSH INTO THE SIERRA THIS
AFTERNOON BRINGING MOUNTAIN SNOW AND VALLEY RAIN (BELOW ABOUT 5000
FEET) IN ADDITION TO WIDESPREAD MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION. IN THE SIERRA,
MVFR-IFR CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH PERIODS OF MVFR IN WESTERN
NEVADA.
EXPECT 4 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION TONIGHT AT KTRK/KTVL WITH
UP TO 2 INCHES AT KMMH. THE BEST CHANCES EXIST BETWEEN 23Z-12Z FOR
KTRK/KTVL AND 04-14Z FOR KMMH. ONLY LIGHT RAIN IS EXPECTED AT KCXP
AND KRNO WITH THE GREATEST CHANCES BETWEEN 02Z-12Z. THERE IS A 25%
CHANCE SNOW MAY MIX WITH THE RAIN OVERNIGHT, BUT NO ACCUMULATION IS
EXPECTED.
SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL BE GUSTY THIS AFTERNOON, BECOMING STRONGER
OVERNIGHT. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE SIERRA AND
SIERRA FRONT FROM I-80 SOUTH. THIS WILL BRING GUSTS OF 35-45 KTS
OVERNIGHT FOR ALL TERMINALS AND GUSTS UP TO 90 KTS ACROSS SIERRA
RIDGES. EXPECT TURBULENCE IN ADDITION TO POSSIBLE WIND SHEAR AND
MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY. DJ
REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NV...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST FRIDAY NVZ005.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST FRIDAY NVZ002.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 4 AM PST FRIDAY NVZ003.
CA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST FRIDAY CAZ071.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST FRIDAY CAZ070.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 4 AM PST FRIDAY CAZ073.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST FRIDAY CAZ072.
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
&&
.REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NV...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST FRIDAY NVZ005.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST FRIDAY NVZ002.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM PST FRIDAY NVZ003.
CA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST FRIDAY CAZ071.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST FRIDAY CAZ070.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM PST FRIDAY CAZ073.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST FRIDAY CAZ072.
&&
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RENO (ALL LOWER CASE)PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
1227 PM PST THU JAN 14 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0608 AM SNOW HEAVENLY VALLEY 38.96N 119.89W
01/14/2016 E7.0 INCH DOUGLAS NV PUBLIC
HEAVENLY SKI AREA REPORTED 7 INCHES OF SNOW IN THE LAST
24 HOURS.
0608 AM SNOW MOUNT ROSE SKI AREA 39.33N 119.89W
01/14/2016 E11.0 INCH WASHOE NV PUBLIC
MT. ROSE SKI AREA REPORTED 9 TO 11 INCHES OF SNOW IN THE
LAST 24 HOURS.
0608 AM SNOW HOMEWOOD 39.08N 120.17W
01/14/2016 E8.0 INCH PLACER CA PUBLIC
HOMEWOOD SKI AREA REPORTED 7-8 INCHES OF SNOW IN THE LAST
24 HOURS.
0608 AM SNOW NORTHSTAR 39.28N 120.12W
01/14/2016 E10.0 INCH PLACER CA PUBLIC
NORTHSTAR SKI AREA REPORTED 10 INCHES OF SNOW IN THE LAST
24 HOURS.
0700 AM SNOW 5 SSE PROSSER CREEK RES 39.32N 120.13W
01/14/2016 M6.0 INCH PLACER CA AWOS
AWOS AT TRUCKEE AIRPORT MEASURED 6.0 INCHES OF SNOW OVER
THE LAST 24 HOURS WITH 0.47 INCHES OF LIQUID. ELEVATION
IS 5900 FEET.
0700 AM SNOW 4 E ALPINE MEADOWS 39.17N 120.14W
01/14/2016 M7.5 INCH PLACER CA CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER IN TAHOE CITY MEASURED 7.5 INCHES OF SNOW
OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS. ELEVATION IS 6230 FEET.
0700 AM SNOW 1 WSW SUGAR PINE POINT 39.06N 120.14W
01/14/2016 M3.2 INCH EL DORADO CA CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER REPORTED 3.2 INCHES OF SNOW WITH 0.31
INCHES OF LIQUID OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS. ELEVATION IS
6315 FEET.
0726 AM SNOW ALPINE MEADOWS 39.17N 120.22W
01/14/2016 E11.0 INCH PLACER CA PUBLIC
ALPINE MEADOWS REPORTED 11 INCHES AT THE TOP AND 10
INCHES AT THE BASE IN THE LAST 24 HOURS.
0726 AM SNOW SQUAW VALLEY 39.20N 120.22W
01/14/2016 E12.0 INCH PLACER CA PUBLIC
SQUAW VALLEY SKI AREA REPORTED 12 INCHES OF SNOW AT 8200
FEET AND 8 INCHES OF SNOW AT 6200 FEET IN THE LAST 24
HOURS.
0800 AM SNOW 1 SSW BOCA RESERVOIR 39.39N 120.09W
01/14/2016 M3.0 INCH NEVADA CA CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER REPORTED 3.0 INCHES OF SNOW WITH 0.45
INCHES OF LIQUID OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS. ELEVATION IS
5575 FEET.
0900 AM SNOW 1 W VERDI 39.52N 120.03W
01/14/2016 M2.0 INCH SIERRA CA CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER WEST OF VERDI REPORTED 2.0 INCHES OVER THE
LAST 24 HOURS WITH 0.30 INCHES OF LIQUID. ELEVATION IS
5429 FEET.
0946 AM SNOW ENE HOMEWOOD 39.08N 120.16W
01/14/2016 M7.0 INCH PLACER CA TRAINED SPOTTER
STORM TOTAL OF 7 INCHES OF SNOW AT LAKE TAHOE LEVEL.
1200 PM SNOW 5 E ALPINE MEADOWS 39.18N 120.14W
01/14/2016 M6.5 INCH PLACER CA TRAINED SPOTTER
TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED 6.5 INCHES OF SNOW OVER THE LAST
24 HOURS WITH A STORM TOTAL OF 7.5 INCHES. ELEVATION IS
6330 FEET.
&&
DNORMANPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
344 PM PST THU JAN 14 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0330 PM SNOW 4 SSW SUSANVILLE MUNICI 40.33N 120.60W
01/14/2016 M2.5 INCH LASSEN CA TRAINED SPOTTER
TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED 2.5 INCHES OF SNOW HAS
ACCUMULATED SINCE 1PM WITH CURRENT SNOWFALL RATES
ESTIMATED TO BE 2IN/HOUR. ELEVATION IS 4800 FEET.
&&
DNORMANPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
558 PM PST THU JAN 14 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0530 PM SNOW 5 WNW SUSANVILLE 40.43N 120.75W
01/14/2016 M8.0 INCH LASSEN CA TRAINED SPOTTER
TRAINED SPOTTER MEASURED 8 INCHES OF SNOW AS OF 530PM.
ELEVATION IS 5100 FEET.
&&
DNORMANThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The area in and near Virginia City reported between 9 and 12 inches of snow. Lesser amounts of 1 to 4 inches were noted in the Reno area down to 4800 to 5000 feet. Little or no snow (mainly rain) fell on the valley floors.
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, January 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: 617715.