A moist winter storm brought heavy snow to portions of central Nevada.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 moist winter storm brought heavy snow to portions of central 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 Elko, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 3, 2:18 AM PST, 11 hours 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Elko NV 218 AM PST Mon Feb 3 2020 .SYNOPSIS...Showers will diminish through Monday morning, but icy roads will be common around the region. Winds will pick up again Monday during the day with highest winds over parts of Nye County. Blowing snow or dust may reduce visibility in places. Highs Monday will be in the 20s and 30s, with lows that night in the single digits to below zero. && .SHORT TERM...Today through Wednesday. Departing closed low that brought significant snows to some areas, ice to most areas, and winds to all areas is over central Nevada and headed east. The moisture plume associated with it is over Utah and Idaho. However the tight surface pressure gradient and temperature gradient aloft is still acting as expected and so winds will continue. Speeds will subside overnight but will pick up again during the day today (Monday). High Wind Warning for northwest Nye County is in effect through 6 pm tonight. Wind Advisory for most other areas in effect until then, also. Winter Weather Advisory is expired. Big story now, besides wind today, is temps. From Saturday's record highs to today's below normal highs, big changes. Also, low temps Sunday morning were in the 30s, but tonight's lows will 30-40 degrees colder than that. The warmest areas will plummet to the low teens with most places in the singles. Some northern and higher snow covered central Nevada valleys will be well below zero. Cold northerly flow will keep temps Tuesday cold, highs in the 20s. Wednesday sees some moderation, back to near normal highs. A dirty upper ridge builds in Wednesday with a shot of light snow across far northeast Nevada. Winds will still be a bit gusty Tuesday and Wednesday in central Nevada. .LONG TERM...Wednesday night through Sunday. Moisture spills over the ridge, but air mass remains cold enough that any precipitation will fall as snow over the Santa Rosas and Elko County. Snowfall amounts are expected to be light, although the the northern mountain area could possibly receive 1-3 inches Wednesday night through Thursday. After a relatively mild day on Friday, ridge breaks down next weekend as an amplifying trough digs southward with a strong cold front sweeping into the state next Saturday afternoon or evening. Most likely front will not have a lot of moisture associated with it, but should bring a burst of snow with the passing front followed by cooler daytime temperatures next Sunday. && .AVIATION...Mid level clouds will continue today across northern and central Nevada, though dry conditions will prevail. The exception might be at KELY, where a few snow showers today are possible. Any MVFR cig or vis would be very temporary there. Gusty northwest winds will continue today at all stations, with the strongest winds continuing to be at KTPH, where gust of 50-60 kts remain possible. Winds all areas decrease this evening. && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 6 PM PST this evening for Northeastern Nye County-Ruby Mountains/East Humboldt Range-South Central Elko County-Southeastern Elko County-Southern Lander County and Southern Eureka County-White Pine County. High Wind Warning until 6 PM PST this evening for Northwestern Nye County. && 98/98/90
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV
1054 AM PST MON FEB 3 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0400 AM SNOW 6 WNW GILLMAN SPRINGS 39.29N 117.11W
02/03/2020 M12.0 INCH LANDER NV MESONET
12 INCHES OF SNOWFALL BETWEEN 9 AM SUNDAY
JAN. 2. - 2 AM MONDAY JAN. 3RD.
&&
DPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV
1055 AM PST MON FEB 3 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0400 AM SNOW 10 ESE MCGILL 39.32N 114.62W
02/03/2020 M13.0 INCH WHITE PINE NV MESONET
13 INCHES OF SNOWFALL BETWEEN 11 AM SUNDAY
JAN. 2. - 4 AM MONDAY JAN. 3RD.
&&
DPThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Twelve inches fell at Big Creek Summit station (BCSN2), elevation 8684 feet.
Thirteen inches fell at Berry Creek station (BRCN2), elevation 9376 feet.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, February 2020
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: 869845, 869846.