Heavy Snow and High Wind in Nevada, January 16 to 17, 2020

Name: Heavy Snow and High Wind in Nevada, January 16 to 17, 2020
Start: 2020-01-16T07:00
End: 2020-01-17T07:00
Location: Nevada

January 16 to 17, 2020 · NWS REV · 8 events in 2 counties and zones

A stronger storm system moved across the Sierra Nevada and the Carson Range mainly on the 16th, with lighter snow showers and icy roads lingering into the morning of the 17th. This storm produced strong winds, but it also produced more significant precipitation that previous storms, mainly as snow.

Where it happened

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.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS REV wrote it up.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jan 16, 2:48 AM PST, 4 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 16, 2:48 AM PST, 4 hours 12 minutes before

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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 high wind, 1 winter weather, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area

When: January 16, 7:00 AM PST to January 17, 7:00 AM PST
Where: Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 39.511, -119.499 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

For western Nevada, snowfall around the Reno-Sparks metro area was generally 1 to 3 inches, except less than 1 inch on the valley floor. Higher snowfall amounts around 4 inches occurred in the Surprise Valley. Around Carson City, Minden, and the higher foothills west of Reno, snowfall totals were between 4 and 8 inches.

Heavy Snow, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

When: January 16, 7:00 AM PST to January 17, 7:00 AM PST
Where: Greater Lake Tahoe Area forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 39.789, -119.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

For the higher elevations of western Nevada, snowfall around the Carson Range and the northeastern Tahoe Basin was generally around 8 inches near 7000 feet MSL and up to 15 inches above 7000 feet MSL. This snowfall occurred in a 24-hour period from 16 January 0700PST to 17 January 0700PST.

High Wind, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

When: January 16, 8:50 AM PST to 8:51 AM PST
Where: Greater Lake Tahoe Area forecast zone
Measured: 75 kt (86 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 39.789, -119.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet atop Slide Mountain (elevation 9650 feet MSL) recorded a wind gust of 86 mph.

High Wind, Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area

When: January 16, 9:47 AM PST to 9:48 AM PST
Where: Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area forecast zone
Measured: 66 kt (76 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 39.511, -119.499 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station DW7469 7 miles north of Virginia City (elevation 6180 feet MSL) recorded a wind gust of 76 mph.

High Wind, Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area

When: January 16, 10:55 AM PST to 10:56 AM PST
Where: Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 39.511, -119.499 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Official wind sensor at WFO NWS Reno measured at wind gust of 64 mph at an elevation of 4974 feet MSL.

High Wind, Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area

When: January 16, 10:59 AM PST to 11:00 AM PST
Where: Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area forecast zone
Measured: 76 kt (87 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 39.511, -119.499 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station PVPN2 atop Peavine Peak (elevation 8270 feet MSL) recorded a wind gust of 87 mph.

High Wind, Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area

When: January 16, 11:45 AM PST to 11:46 AM PST
Where: Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 39.511, -119.499 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet atop Virginia Peak (elevation 8299 feet MSL) recorded a wind gust of 65 mph.

High Wind, Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area

When: January 16, 11:50 AM PST to 11:51 AM PST
Where: Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 39.511, -119.499 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

RAWS GALN2 at Galena Creek 4 miles north-northwest of Washoe City (elevation 5610 feet MSL) recorded a wind gust of 62 mph.

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Nevada in 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history Warnings in Nevada, January 2020

Sources

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: 901438, 901605, 901434, 901433, 901429, 901435, 901432, 901425.