A fast-moving shortwave trough brought strong winds to the Sierra Nevada and Eastern California on the 14th. Peak gusts ranged from 45 to 55 mph throughout these areas, with wind prone areas seeing wind gusts in excess of 55 mph.
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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.
A fast-moving shortwave trough brought strong winds to the Sierra Nevada and Eastern California on the 14th. Peak gusts ranged from 45 to 55 mph throughout these areas, with wind prone areas seeing wind gusts in excess of 55 mph.
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 Dec 14, 2:10 AM PST, 10 hours 23 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Reno NV
210 AM PST Fri Dec 14 2018
.SYNOPSIS...
A system will bring strong and gusty winds today followed by a light
snowfall for higher elevations of northeast California tonight. A
second system will have a more southerly track and bring another
light round of snow to the Sierra with only a few showers making
their way into western Nevada. Quiet, dry weather is expected to
persist for some time after Monday.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
A storm system is still on track to move through the Pacific
Northwest and brush our region today and tonight. Winds are still
the main story as 700 MB winds are progged to peak around 60-65
kts late this afternoon from the northern Sierra and Sierra Front
northward to the Oregon border. Winds were already approaching 50
mph along Tahoe area ridges and winds aloft are only going to get
much stronger through the morning. A combination of mixing and
increasing southerly surface gradients will result in south winds
20-35 mph with gusts to 50-60 mph across much of the eastern
Sierra today with a short duration of even stronger sustained
winds and gusts from the north Valleys of Reno northward into
eastern Lassen County and the Surprise Valley of California. Some
wind prone areas including Highway 395 from Lemmon Valley to
Susanville could see gusts as high as 75 mph. Expect widespread
impacts to boats, high profile vehicles, and aviation interests.
Precipitation still looks unimpressive and mainly confined to
the tail-end of this system as a front slides southward into
northeast CA and far northwest NV this evening. Some light snow
accumulation is possible mainly above 5000-5500 feet from Plumas
and Sierra Counties northward to the Surprise Valley. Snow
potential tapers quickly across the Tahoe Basin with no snow
expected down into Mono County. There could still be just enough
snow to impact travel across higher passes, so make sure to check
the latest road conditions if you must travel this evening and
overnight and be prepared.
Temperatures will warm to unseasonably mild levels today with 50s
in most lower valleys and near 50 for the Sierra valleys. Lighter
winds and slightly cooler temperatures will follow Saturday which
looks like a relatively quiet weather day. Hohmann
.LONG TERM...Sunday through Thursday...
The primary changes to the extended portion of the forecast this
morning were made to increase POPs and QPF for the Sunday
night/Monday time frame.
The operational model solutions have come into better agreement for
the Sunday night/Monday system and now bring it through as a more
consolidated system. This makes it a little faster...bringing better
chances of precipitation to the northern Sierra and northeast
California Sunday evening. The southerly nature of the flow ahead of
this system should keep the precipitation from spilling over into
western Nevada until early Monday morning when the cold front
reaches the area. The model guidance was also a bit wetter this
cycle and QPF amounts were increased...especially in northeast
California and the Sierra. It is likely we could see snowfall in the
8 to 12 inch range in the High Sierra during the peak of the storm
late Sunday night and early Monday. These totals would be higher
save for the fact that the system moves through fairly fast. Snow
accumulations will be very limited below 5500 feet...with mainly
less than inch expected. Of course...an inch for the Monday morning
commute could still result in some delays and awkward travel
conditions.
The system moves out by Tuesday as a flat ridge starts to build.
Residual showers are possible north of Interstate 80 Tuesday
where moisture transport will continue. The ridge builds further
for Wednesday with drying; the axis begins to shift east Thursday.
This should lead to above normal temperatures for both days as
deep persistent inversions and low clouds are not expected at this
time.
There are hints at another fast moving storm late Thursday night
into Friday...but there is little model agreement that far out and
confidence is quite low.
&&
.AVIATION...
Winds will be the main issue today ahead of a storm system moving
through the Pacific Northwest. Winds were already gusting to
around 50 mph along the northern Sierra ridges and they will
continue to increase through the morning and afternoon before
peaking around 15/00Z. 700 MB flow peaks around 60-65 kts and
model soundings indicated these winds reaching down fairly low
toward the valley floors near the Highway 395/I-580 corridor from
mid to late afternoon when we expect the worst conditions. Expect
a combination of moderate (locally severe) turbulence and LLWS
this afternoon and early evening across the Tahoe Basin and Sierra
Front, including KTVL-KTRK-KRNO-KCXP. These conditions will
extend north to the Oregon border. Surface winds will generally be
from the south 20-30 kts with gusts 40-50 kts while northern
Sierra ridges will see gusts approaching 100 kts. Farther south
near Mammoth, conditions will not be quite as bad as winds aloft
will not be as strong. However the route between KRNO-KMMH will be
quite turbulent. Winds will ease tonight as the trough pulls
away.
As far as precipitation, some light snow will move southward into
northeast CA and far northwest NV where some mountain obscuration
in low CIGS/VSBYs will be possible this evening and into the very
early morning hours Saturday. This band will impact mainly areas
north of I-80 but there could be some scattered snow showers
making it as far south as KTRK-KTVL before the band falls apart
overnight. Hohmann
&&
.REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NV...High Wind Warning from 10 AM this morning to 8 PM PST this
evening NVZ005.
Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 8 PM PST this evening
NVZ002-003.
Lake Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 8 PM PST this
evening for Pyramid Lake in NVZ004.
CA...High Wind Warning from 10 AM this morning to 8 PM PST this
evening CAZ070-071.
Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 10 PM PST this evening
CAZ073.
Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 8 PM PST this evening
CAZ072.
&&
For more information from the National Weather Service visit...
http://weather.gov/renoThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Mesonet station TADC1, 2 miles northeast of Donner Peak reported a 79 mph wind gust. Mesonet elevation 7399 feet MSL.
Mesonet station LDRC1, 11 miles northeast of Old Station reported a wind gust of 58 mph. Mesonet elevation 5672 feet MSL.
Mesonet station WMSRS, at White Mountain Summit reported a 106 mph wind gust. Mesonet elevation 14246 feet MSL.
Mesonet station SE089, 1 mile southwest of Conway Summit reported a 71 mph wind gust. Mesonet station 8822 feet MSL.
Mesonet station UNDC1, 3 miles south-southeast of Conway Summit reported a 63 mph wind gust. Mesonet elevation 7032 feet MSL.
Mesonet station RNYC1, 4 miles south-southeast of Sierraville reported a 67 mph wind gust. Mesonet station elevation 6943 feet MSL.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2018
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: 801805, 801798, 801807, 801803, 801800, 801801.