Flash Flood and Flooding in Nevada, February 7 to 14, 2017

Name: Flash Flood and Flooding in Nevada, February 7 to 14, 2017
Start: 2017-02-07T13:00
End: 2017-02-14T15:00
Location: Nevada

February 7 to 14, 2017 · NWS LKN · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $6.5 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS LKN wrote it up.

Rain on a much above normal snow pack combined with frozen ground caused extensive flooding across northern Nevada, especially across Elko county. The excessive runoff caused the Twenty One Mile dam north of Montello to fail sending flood waters 2-3 feet deep down Twenty One Mile Creek flooding buildings at the Gamble Ranch and washing out a section of State Route 233 and railroad tracks. Flooding also stopped trains traveling through northern Elko County as tracks were underwater. About 30 homes and a few businesses in both Montello and Wells were flooded along with some homes and outbuildings in rural areas. Many rural roads were damaged and had washouts. US highway 93 was closed both south and north of Wells for a time as flood waters submerged the road. Salmon Falls Creek overflowed US highway 93 and completely submerged the adjoining rest area. Extensive shoulder damage was reported along US Highway 93 mainly north of Wells. Humboldt county reported over 68 rural roads that were damaged by the flooding. Residents of Paradise Valley were inundated on at least two separate occasions as water poured off the Santa Rosa Mountains through the various creeks surrounding the town. All the runoff caused the Humboldt River to rise above flood stage. This caused extensive flooding of homes and businesses along and near the Humboldt River in Elko. Interstate 80 between Elko and Wells was reduced to one lane in places due to flood waters over the road. A total of 25 homes in Elko, Wells, and Montello were totally destroyed or suffered extensive damage.

What forecasters said that day

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 Feb 7, 12:28 PM PST, 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 7, 12:28 PM PST, 32 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Elko NV
1228 PM PST Tue Feb 7 2017

.SYNOPSIS...A long stretch of Pacific moisture will bring heavier
rains and some mountain snows to the region through the week.
Temperatures will be warmer than normal. Some flooding is
possible.

&&

.UPDATE...Expired the WSW for northern Elko County and the
Ruby/East Humboldt Range. Widespread snow has ended or changed to
rain for all valley locations. Snow showers will contiue in the
mountains, but snowfall accumulations will be under warning
criteria.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED AT 233 AM /

SYNOPSIS...A long stretch of Pacific moisture will bring heavier
rains and some mountain snows to the region through the week.
Temperatures will be warmer than normal. Some flooding is
possible.

SHORT TERM...Today through Thursday. Atmospheric river from
north of Hawaii into the Great Basin will be the main feature of
the period. The Sierra, of course, block much of the flow, but
enough will proceed over the top to give a good potential for
flooding. The ample snowpack presents another problem with much
above normal SWE. In addition, HUGE zonal jet buckles and turns
anti-cyclonic over the western interior CONUS for serious warming
south of the jet. The jet, at 120 knots, will become a 160-180
knot jet further inland, enhancing the western CONUS ridge.
Surface winds will blow near 25 mph today with gusts to 40-45 mph
over certain summits/passes. Mostly valleys will remain in the 35
mph gust range.

Biggest issue is hydrology. See section below.

Much above normal surface temps through the period with highs
today in the mid 40s into the low 50s by Thursday for the
north and east...mid 50s northwest. For central Nevada
valleys...up into the low 60s by Thursday. Lows will not likely
dip down to freezing anywhere, with buckling upper flow and
clouds/rain.

LONG TERM...Thursday night through Tuesday

Thursday night through Friday. A cold front will slowly transit
across the silver state. This will provide for considerable
moisture that should cause ample showers. The entrenched warm air
should keep the precipitation mostly as rain slowly transitioning
to snow. However by the time snow levels will drop to allow for
accumulation in the valleys most of the moisture should have moved
out of the silver state. This should not allow for any significant
snow accumulation in the valleys. The mountains on the other hand
should receive a long period of accumulation which will be over
several inches.

Saturday. The models are still in agreement on an open trof or
closed low dropping generally SE near/through eastern Nevada. This
should induce a fairly cool northerly flow across Nevada. This
will also serve to scour out the moisture with showers during the
morning giving away to dry conditions by the afternoon.

Saturday night through Tuesday. A ridge is depicted building
across the Great Basin following the passage of the closed low.
This will keep the silver state dry with no pertinent weather.

AVIATION...A storm system translating across the silver state is
bringing low ceilings and rain showers to all terminals. The low
ceilings can reach down to MVFR or IFR which may also lead to
mountain obscurations. Strong gusty winds from the south to
southwest will accompany the passage of this system.

HYDROLOGY...warm temps, winds, and rains on snow pack will cause
localized lowland flooding. In addition, small streams area
already running high and some could exceed banks and flood stages
where those are established.

&&

.LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None.

&&

94/99

The radar

The Elko radar (KLRX), 55 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:53 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flood, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Humboldt

When: February 7, 1:00 PM PST to February 9, 6:00 PM PST
Where: Humboldt County, 5.16 mi ENE of Adelaide to 35.15 mi W of Sulphur
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: $3.0 million
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 40.855, -117.433

Residents of Paradise Valley were inundated on at least two separate occasions as water poured off the Santa Rosa Mountains through the various creeks surrounding the town. Humboldt county reported over 68 rural roads that were damaged by the flooding. Damages are estimated.

Flood, Elko

When: February 7, 3:00 PM PST to February 14, 3:00 PM PST
Where: Elko County, 29.54 mi E of San Jacinto to 26.37 mi W of Owyhee Arpt
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: $3.0 million
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 41.955, -114.060

Rain on a much above normal snow pack combined with frozen ground caused extensive flooding. About 30 homes and a few businesses in both Montello and Wells were flooded along with some homes and outbuildings in rural areas. Many rural roads were damaged and had washouts. US highway 93 was closed both south and north of Wells for a time as flood waters submerged the road. Salmon Falls Creek overflowed US highway 93 and completely submerged the adjoining rest area. Extensive shoulder damage was reported along US Highway 93 mainly north of Wells. All the runoff caused the Humboldt River to rise above flood stage. This caused extensive flooding of homes and businesses along and near the Humboldt River in Elko. Interstate 80 between Elko and Wells was reduced to one lane in places due to flood waters over the road. A total of 25 homes in Elko, Wells, and Montello were totally destroyed or suffered extensive damage.

Flash Flood, Elko

When: February 8, 1:06 PM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where: Elko County, 18.72 mi NNW of Montello Arpt to 15.3 mi NNW of Montello Arpt
Cause: Dam / Levee Break
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 41.529, -114.364

Rising waters behind Twenty One Mile Dam caused the dam to fail sending a 2 to 3 foot wall of water downstream. The flood waters washed out a section of State Route 233 and railroad tracks. The waters flooded buildings at the Gamble Ranch and washed out some county roads. Damages are estimated.

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Nevada in 2017 Every state in 2017 This day in weather history Warnings in Nevada, February 2017

Sources

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: 681493, 681490, 681489.