A very wet event dropped heavy snow across northern and central Nevada. This was a warm event that produced rain in the valley locations but significant snow in the high elevation sites.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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 LKN wrote it up.
A very wet event dropped heavy snow across northern and central Nevada. This was a warm event that produced rain in the valley locations but significant snow in the high elevation sites.
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 Dec 11, 2:25 AM PST, 5 hours 35 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Elko NV 225 AM PST Wed Dec 11 2019 .SYNOPSIS...A weak weather system will move through the area this morning bringing a few light snow showers to northern Nevada. A more moist Pacific system will begin moving into the region tonight and will last through the weekend, bringing widespread rain and snow showers to the Great Basin. && .SHORT TERM...Today through Friday afternoon A weak and quick moving shortwave is currently moving across northern Nevada. A few flurries or very light snow showers will be around through the morning before the wave moves east of the area this afternoon. High temperatures will be in the upper 30's to the mid 40's as there will be some breaks in the clouds. Clouds and showers will quickly increase tonight as an Atmospheric River begins to stream moisture into northern Nevada. Model IVT values indicate this will be a weak to a possibly lower end of a moderate event, especially given the 3 day length of the moisture stream. Showers Wednesday night will be in the form of a rain/snow mix at first in Humboldt County and in the form of mainly snow in Elko County, but then snow levels will steadily rise Wednesday night through Thursday allowing for precipitation to turn to a rain/snow mix by morning and then all rain in the valleys by Thursday afternoon. High temperatures will warm into the mid 40's to the lower 50's. Higher elevation winds will also increase. Showers and higher elevation winds continue Thursday night through Friday and colder air will finally start to descend southward down into northern Nevada during this period. By Friday morning higher valleys such as Spring Creek may see a rain/snow mix or perhaps some wet slushy snow. Precipitation will also begin to spread southward into central Nevada. Mountains will be receiving some beneficial snow throughout the Wednesday night through Friday period and elevation based products may become necessary at some point on Thursday and/or Friday in northern Elko County. Fridays highs will be in the 40's. .LONG TERM...Friday night through next Wednesday. Essentially no changes to previous model runs and forecast as confidence grows for an atmospheric river event to develop for Friday into Saturday/early Sunday. Amounts of precip vary depending on models and runs. Some vacillation going on and amounts will rise or fall slightly each run, but overall idea is for an ongoing event to continue Friday night over central and northern Nevada and then begin to taper off Saturday, breaking up Sunday. Trouble is...the flow with this AR is largely zonal so strong cold advection is not likely, keeping a mix of liquid/frozen precip in the valleys early, changing to all snow Saturday and Sunday. This will limit total snow accumulations except above mid-slopes and summits where totals for the event could be over a foot (or two feet in higher peaks/ridges). Expecting some travel issues over higher summits, more slushy on lower traveled summits, with potential for a flash freeze Sunday morning. After the zonal flow turns to a drier short wave Sunday, then a short ridge develops Monday and Tuesday, with another system looming Wednesday. Confidence drops later Tuesday as models differ. Temps forecasts have been remarkably consistent with highs ranging generally from the upper 20s to around 40, and lows dropping from the 20s/teens to the single digits. && .AVIATION...A weak trough of low pressure will quickly pass through Nevada this Wednesday morning producing a few light snow showers or flurries along the I-80 corridor from KWMC through KBAM to KEKO. Ceilings could briefly lower to MVFR at these sites. Otherwise, VFR conditions are expected at all terminals for this afternoon and early evening. A strong upper-level flow with abundant Pacific moisture will develop across northern Nevada later Wednesday night into Thursday bringing an increasing chance of rain and snow showers with MVFR to intermittent IFR conditions to northern TAF sites. && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && 90/98/95
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Elko NV 452 AM PST Wed Dec 11 2019 NVZ030-031-033>041-121300- Humboldt County-Northern Elko County-Southeastern Elko County- Ruby Mountains/East Humboldt Range-White Pine County- Northern Lander County and Northern Eureka County- Southern Lander County and Southern Eureka County- Southwestern Elko County-South Central Elko County- Northwestern Nye County-Northeastern Nye County- 452 AM PST Wed Dec 11 2019 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Nevada...north central Nevada...northeast Nevada...northwest Nevada and south central Nevada. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. A weak weather system will bring a few light snow showers to portions of northern Nevada this morning. Little accumulation is expected. Showers will increase tonight as Pacific moisture begins to stream into northern Nevada. Precipitation will be in the form of a rain/snow mix at first in Humboldt County and in the form of mainly snow in Elko County, but then snow levels will steadily rise overnight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. Valley rain and mountain snow showers are expected to continue Thursday as temperatures and snow levels increase during the day. The rain and snow showers will remain through the Friday period with snow levels coming down back to the 5000 foot level across northern Elko and Humboldt counties, with precipitation spreading south into central Nevada. The activity will continue into Saturday as snow levels continue to fall before showers decrease on Sunday. Winter headline products are possible during this period - please stay tuned. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are asked to report weather phenomena according to standard operating procedure. 90
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Sixteen inches fell at Pole Canyon SNOTEL (POLN2), elevation 7759 feet. 72 hour storm total.
Twenty-five inches fell at Hole-in-Mountain SNOTEL (HIMN2), elevation 8161 feet. 72 hour storm total.
Twelve inches fell at Toe Jam SNOTEL (TJMN2), elevation 7700 feet. 72 hour storm total.
Eighteen inches fell at Seventy-Six Creek SNOTEL (SSCN2), elevation 7100 feet. 72 hour storm total.
Thirteen inches fell at Jacks Peak SNOTEL (JAPN2), elevation 8420 feet. 72 hour storm total.
Nine inches fell at Wildhorse COOP (elevation 6239 feet). 24 hour storm total.
Eighteen inches at Draw Creek SNOTEL (DRCN2), elevation 7200 feet. 72 hour storm total.
Nineteen inches fell at Bear Creek SNOTEL, elevation 8040 feet. 72 hour storm total.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, December 2019
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: 861539, 861540, 861541, 861542, 861543, 861544, 861545, 861546.