Cold low pressure dropped from the Gulf of Alaska on the 3rd into Nevada on the 5th, bringing heavy snow to the northern Sierra and far western Nevada.
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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.
Cold low pressure dropped from the Gulf of Alaska on the 3rd into Nevada on the 5th, bringing heavy snow to the northern Sierra and far western 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 Reno, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 4, 7:41 PM PST, 2 hours 19 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Reno NV
741 PM PST Sat Mar 4 2017
.UPDATE...
Convective nature of precipitation was becoming more evident based
on latest satellite and radar imagery with main band developing
from San Francisco to the northern Sacramento Valley this evening
with smaller bands on the west slopes of the Sierra beginning to
move into the Tahoe Basin. Latest HRRR reflects these trends well
and along with the 00Z NAM, suggest snow showers will continue to
intensify from Alpine County northward and occasionally move into
the Sierra Front late this evening and ahead of main band which
will move southeast through the area mostly overnight. Heaviest
and most pronounced snow should reach the Tahoe Basin between
05Z-07Z and then spill over into western NV between midnight and
4am. This front will then hang up over the central Sierra of Mono
County as it awaits a secondary cold front that will finally push
across Sunday morning. With the cold air in place, a secondary
round of snow along the Sierra Front will bring more potential
impacts for the early to mid morning period Sunday. Other than to
delay weather across Mono County this evening, the forecast is on
track. A couple of minor updates will be issued to reflect trends
in Mono County and again later to remove the wind advisory
headline on time for the Sierra Front and northern Washoe County.
Hohmann
&&
.SYNOPSIS...
Winds will remain gusty this weekend as a cold front moves through
the region. Heavy snow is likely for the Sierra tonight and Sunday
with some snow accumulation across western Nevada north of
Highway 50. Snow showers will gradually diminish through Monday
but temperatures will remain below normal. High pressure returns
by mid to late next week for warmer conditions forecast. A return
to a wet pattern is possible next weekend.
&&
.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... /Issued 220 PM PST Sat Mar 4 2017/
SYNOPSIS...
Gusty winds will continue this evening as a strong cold front
moves into the region. Heavy snow is likely for the Sierra
beginning late this afternoon through Sunday. Snow accumulation
for western Nevada is likely Sunday morning north of Highway 50.
Much colder Sunday with snow showers continuing with less showers
on Monday. High pressure returns by mid to late next week with
warmer and drier conditions forecast. A return to a wet pattern is
possible next weekend.
SHORT TERM...
Overall, the forecast remains on track for the next 24 hours. A
few changes were made, but they are more to indicate the
confidence we have in the next 24 hours.
WINDS: Sierra ridges are gusting to 90 mph with many valley
locations seeing gusts 40 to 55 mph, in line with the forecast.
There are a few higher gusts to 70 mph in wind prone areas and
this will continue through the evening. All wind statements will
continue through expiration. Even Lovelock/Fallon getting into the
act with good mixing and there is dust coming off the Carson Sink.
Added dust to the forecast for this evening there.
The winds will gradually diminish some overnight, but not
completely weaken. They will remain brisk tomorrow with some gusts
30-40 mph which will make for a decent wind chill. We did issue a
Lake Wind Advisory for Pyramid Sunday after the Wind Advisory is
set to expire.
SNOW: Precip is increasing across Northwest CA and will continue
to push east this evening. Everything is on track, and it now
looks as if the main frontal band will occur after the snow levels
will drop to the valley floors along the Sierra Front. The
heaviest bands are still expected from 10 pm tonight through 10 am
Sunday and shift from north to south over that time. The main
change was to issue a winter weather advisory for the Sierra Front
with the higher confidence in snow sticking to the roads,
especially above 5000 feet. Elsewhere, a modest increase in
snowfall was made for the Sierra due to the convective nature of
the snowfall. Large dendrites are likely and snow rates will reach
2 inches per hour in the heavy bands.
After the main front and bands move through, convective snow
showers will continue Sunday with much colder temperatures, a good
20 degrees colder than today. A few more inches are possible in
the Sierra. While lake effect snow would be a good possibility
with 700 mb temps down to -16 C, the 700 mb winds are 40 kts, and
the shear will be too much for anything organized. Snow showers
will gradually wind down from south to north into Tuesday. By
Monday afternoon, most snow showers should be confined north of a
South Lake Tahoe to Lovelock line.
Tuesday, much drier except for a small chance of showers north of
Susanville and Gerlach. Temperatures will also warm up quite a bit
Tuesday as 700 mb temps begin to approach the freezing mark. Winds
will also diminish with just the ridges being gusty at times.
Wallmann
LONG TERM...Wednesday through Saturday...
Model simulations continue to show the storm track retreating north
into the Pacific Northwest midweek, supporting relatively mild
conditions. Expect slightly above average afternoon temperatures (55-
65 lower valleys, 44-55 Sierra valleys) Wednesday and Thursday.
Thursday night and into next weekend, model simulations continue to
differ on the strength of a blocking ridge over the Aleutians as a
trough drops south out of British Columbia. This has implications
both with respect to how much cold air moves south into CA/NV for
Friday into the weekend and also as to how much Pacific moisture
gets entrained into the westerly flow pointed towards the west
coast. Atmospheric river outlook tools show a weak signal for the
weekend but with an increasing signal for the first half of next
week. The upshot is expect a return to active winter weather Friday
and this weekend with snow levels likely below pass levels but
otherwise highly uncertain at this time. JCM
AVIATION...
Strong surface wind gusts 35-50 kts at area terminals will generally
be strongest now through this evening. However for KMMH/KHTH the
strongest gusts are expected just before FROPA between 06-12z
tonight. For KTRK/KTVL expect a decrease in winds after the snow
arrives with gusts 20-25 kts after 03z tonight. For western NV
terminals the strongest gusts should also decrease somewhat after
03z but peak gusts 30-40 kts could continue through at least 12z.
LLWS potential increases again tonight after midnight post-FROPA as
the surface winds may decouple from the strong winds aloft.
Widespread IFR conditions due to snow are likely in the Sierra after
00z this evening through Sunday. A foot of snow accumulation is
likely at KTRK/KTVL during this period. Snow spreads south reaching
Mammoth Lakes around 09z with up to 6 inches possible at KMMH by
Sunday afternoon. As far as western NV terminals including
KRNO/KCXP/KMEV, expect at least an inch or two of snow between 06Z-
12Z (10PM Saturday to 4AM Sunday) Sunday. Between 12Z/4AM and
16Z/8AM Sunday, additional snow showers could bring another couple
inches but this is much more uncertain and depends where the
heaviest snow showers set up. JCM
&&
.REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NV...Winter Storm Warning until 4 PM PST Sunday NVZ002.
Wind Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening NVZ003-005.
Wind Advisory until 4 AM PST Sunday NVZ001-004.
Winter Weather Advisory until noon PST Sunday NVZ003.
Lake Wind Advisory from 6 AM to 6 PM PST Sunday for Pyramid Lake
in NVZ004.
CA...Winter Storm Warning until 4 PM PST Sunday CAZ071-072.
Wind Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening CAZ070.
Winter Storm Warning until 10 PM PST Sunday CAZ073.
&&
For more information from the National Weather Service visit...
http://weather.gov/renoThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Fifteen to 19 inches of snow fell in the Carson Range and near Lake Tahoe, generally near and south of Highway 50. To the northeast of Lake Tahoe, 23 to 28 inches of snow was reported between Incline Village and the Mount Rose Ski area.
Isolated snowfall amounts between 17 and 19 inches fell above 5000 feet west of Carson City on the 5th, with around 12 inches in Virginia City. Four to six inches of snow fell on the north and west sides of Reno, as well as near Carson City and east of Highway 395 in the Minden-Johnson Lane area. Six to 8 inches of snow was reported in the north valleys of Reno. Lesser snowfall amounts up to 3 inches fell in Sparks and in southeast Reno.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, March 2017
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: 712210, 712211.