A fast moving cold front swept south across the Pacific Northwest and the Great Basin bringing gusty winds and subsequent blowing dust to parts of western Nevada.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
A fast moving cold front swept south across the Pacific Northwest and the Great Basin bringing gusty winds and subsequent blowing dust to parts of 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 Feb 10, 2:39 AM PST, 3 hours 6 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Reno NV
239 AM PST Sat Feb 10 2018
.SYNOPSIS...
A dry cold front will move through northeast California and western
Nevada today, bringing breezy northerly winds and a significant
cool down. A stronger cold front will move through late Sunday
and Sunday night with gusty winds and a chance for snow showers.
Temperatures will be below normal Monday with a few snow showers
possible, followed by a warmup to above average temperatures by
the middle of next week.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
The main forecast changes through the weekend were to raise winds
Sunday afternoon and evening, and precipitation chances Sunday
night. Also, lake wind advisories for Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake
will be issued with the morning package.
Say goodbye to the well above normal temperatures through the
first half of next week. A cold front currently near the California,
Nevada, and Oregon border will push through northeast California
and western Nevada today, bringing much colder temperatures and
breezy northerly winds to the region. For a few hours after the
cold frontal passage, winds should kick up enough to be a concern
for boaters on Pyramid Lake, especially on the southern half of
the lake where wind waves should be highest given the northerly
flow. Atmospheric lift/forcing for precipitation is far east of
the region so the front should remain dry with just some mid and
high clouds this morning.
This afternoon and overnight, north and east winds spread to Lake
Tahoe and exposed areas along the northern Sierra crest as high
pressure builds into the Great Basin. For Lake Tahoe, gusts 30-40
mph will be possible tonight, with gusts to 80 mph for the crest.
By Sunday morning, winds should drop off substantially as the flow
aloft begins turning westerly ahead of the next upper disturbance.
By Sunday afternoon, winds begin increasing as the next, more
potent system nears the northwest California/southwest Oregon
border. Winds look strongest within a few hours of the system's
cold frontal passage, with widespread gusts 35-45 mph with wind-
prone areas along Highway 395/Interstate 580 possibly seeing gusts
to 50-55 mph.
As far as precipitation, the Sunday-Sunday night system is coming
in farther west in deterministic runs from 00Z (GFS/EC) and 06Z
(NAM). This trajectory resembles an inside slider with the low
passing near the California-Nevada border. While these types of
systems can bring a quick hit of impactful snow to far western
Nevada and northeast California, small changes in the track
typically make a huge difference with anything from nothing to a
few inches of snowfall possible depending on the ultimate track.
Therefore, confidence is low for snowfall impacts Sunday night
and early Monday. In fact, confidence may remain low until as late
as Sunday morning so stay tuned for the very latest thinking.
-Snyder
.LONG TERM...Monday onward...
Upper level low moves over the region Monday bringing a significant
cool down along with breezy northeast winds behind Sunday night's
cold front. High temperatures will be 4-8 degrees below normal,
which will be a shock to the system after the unusual warmth as
of late. The easterly winds will bring choppy conditions to Lake
Tahoe on Monday, especially from mid-lake to western shores. While
the surface gradient begins to relax into late Monday into
Tuesday, the upper level winds increase due to the jet on the back
side of the low. This will lead to gusty winds across the Sierra
crest with the potential for hazardous wind chills for anyone on
exposed ridges.
A few spotty snow showers remain possible Monday, especially as
the trend for the track of the upper low has been westward. Keep
in mind these showers will be very hit or miss and not everyone
will see snow. However, even a light dusting of snow the wrong
time of the day can cause major travel impacts, so pay attention
to the forecast. An enhanced area of deformation along the tail
end of the frontal boundary brings better chances for snow in
Alpine and Mono Counties Monday evening, tracking south into
Tuesday. Localized areas could see a few inches of snow, especially
with the upslope flow in the eastern Sierra.
The upper level low closes off over the southern California coast
Tuesday into Wednesday, but doesn't appear to completely cutoff
from the flow. However, forecast simulations are struggling with
the timing on the exit of the low and the redevelopment of the
eastern Pacific ridge. If the ridge axis remains farther west, the
region could potentially see additional systems dropping in from
the north. On the other side of the ensembles, the ridge axis
rebuilds along the West Coast, keeping the West warm and dry.
While forecaster confidence is low in these details, what does
look fairly certain at this point is very minimal chances for any
big Pacific moisture taps in the upcoming 2 or so weeks. -Dawn
&&
.AVIATION...
Widespread VFR conditions through much of this weekend with
periods of high level clouds. Winds will turn north then
northeast with the passage of a dry cold front today. Gusty
northeast winds will result behind the front late in the day, with
the potential for turbulence and mountain wave activity on the
west side of the Sierra. Winds to quickly turn back to the
southwest by Sunday morning with gusty winds ahead of the next
cold front. The strongest winds look likely in Mono County Sunday
evening, with a short period with gusts up to 40 kts for KMMH.
This front and associated "inside slider" upper level low bring the
potential for a brief burst of snow Sunday night with spotty showers
lingering into Monday morning. These showers will be very hit or
miss, with only a 20% chance one will impact a terminal site.
Farther south into Mono County, better chances exist for light snow
showers, especially with upslope flow into the Eastern Sierra late
Monday into Tuesday. -Dawn
&&
.REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NV...Lake Wind Advisory from 7 AM this morning to 4 PM PST this
afternoon for Pyramid Lake in NVZ004.
Lake Wind Advisory from 2 PM this afternoon to 4 AM PST Sunday
for Lake Tahoe in NVZ002.
CA...Lake Wind Advisory from 2 PM this afternoon to 4 AM PST Sunday
for Lake Tahoe in CAZ072.
&&
For more information from the National Weather Service visit...
http://weather.gov/renoThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
ASOS station KLOL, Lovelock Derby Field Airport reported visibility briefly below 1/4 mile in blowing dust. Visibility mainly 1 to 3 miles between 0530PST and 1130PST.
Trained spotter 1 mile southwest of Fallon reported that visibility was reduced to less than 1/2 mile due to blowing dust behind the cold front. The dust was likely picked up from the nearby Carson Sink.
ASOS station KNFL, Fallon Naval Air Station reported visibility down to 1/2 mile in blowing dust. Visibility mainly between 1-3 miles from 0900PST to 1300PST.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, February 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: 741088, 741090, 741089.