A stalled cold front produced late season mountain snows.
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 stalled cold front produced late season mountain snows.
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 May 21, 1:58 PM PST, 7 hours 2 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Elko NV 258 PM PDT Thu May 21 2020 .SYNOPSIS...A few showers are across far northern Nevada this evening before a cold front moves through the state Friday bringing additional rain, isolated thunderstorms and mountain snow to much of northeast Nevada. Widespread freezing temperatures are expected Friday night into Saturday night before warmer and drier conditions settle into the region for the Memorial Day weekend. && .SHORT TERM...Tonight through Saturday night. A few showers are expected along the southern periphery of a mid- level low centered over the Pacific Northwest. This low will make its way into the Great Basin region Friday bringing along an accompanying cold front. Rain and mountain snow showers along the front will progress southeastward through the state during the day on Friday. This will be a rather transient system with precipitation maxima located across the higher elevation areas in northern Elko county where up to one half inch of liquid precipitation could fall by Friday evening. This will be a relatively sharp cold front with rapidly falling snow levels down to 6000 feet in some cases across northwest and northern NV through Friday. However, bulk of precipitation will be in advance of the lower snow levels so not much if any is expected in valley locations. Nonetheless, several inches of snow are likely across the Jarbidge area. A warmer and drier trend will commence Saturday across the region as a ridge begins to build over the western U.S. Temperatures will be considerably cooler Friday after lows tonight in the 40s. Highs in the 40s and 50s are expected across northern Nevada Friday with cloud cover and precipitation while 70s could be seen across northern Nye county. Clearing skies will allow temperatures to plummet below zero for most valleys in the CWA Friday night into Saturday morning. Temperatures will begin to rebound Saturday as the low moves eastward away from the region. Gusty southwest winds are expected to subside tonight across much of western Nevada with more gusty winds developing Friday with the passage of the cold front through the state. Southwest winds tonight and early Friday morning will transition to the northwest across the state by Friday evening. .LONG TERM...Sunday through next Thursday. Models are in agreement that a mid-level ridge will build into the state Sunday into Monday, with relatively northerly flow. By Tuesday the ridge will become blocked with no real model agreement on the closed high placement over the next few days. A relatively weak cold front is expected to pass through Wednesday changing the flow to westerly before becoming a stationary front Thursday. Relatively cold temperatures are still expected Sunday morning before a warming trend begins on Monday. Memorial Day is still looking to be the warmest of the holiday weekend with temperatures back into the 70s to low 80s. Look for temperatures to be above normal for most of the midweek period, with locations in the 80s to lower 90s. A similar event occurred in 2003 bringing with it 3 days of record high temperatures. However, Wednesday is the most likely day to have record high temperatures occur. && .AVIATION...Increasing and lowering clouds tonight as a system approaches from the northwest. MVFR Cigs and rain (and icing potential aloft) move into the northern sites by early tomorrow morning with some potential for Cigs to go IFR briefly. For central NV sites, high and mid level clouds increasing tonight also, but Cigs remaining VFR. Also expect winds to switch around to the west to northwest and become gusty tomorrow morning once the system passes. Showery weather anticipated for tomorrow afternoon. && .FIRE WEATHER...Gusty southwest winds up to 25 mph are expected through the early evening hours across western and northwestern Nevada. A few showers are expected across northern Nevada north of I-80 through tonight but wetting rains are not expected. A cold front will move through the state Friday bringing additional precipitation to northeastern Nevada and a wind shift to the northwest. Most likely locations to receive wetting rains Friday will be across northern Elko county as well as eastern Elko and White Pine counties. Widespread freezing temperatures and frost are expected Friday night into Saturday morning across most valleys. Temperatures will begin to rebound Saturday and especially early next week along with falling relative humidity and light winds as a ridge of high pressure builds over the region. && .HYDROLOGY...Recent precipitation caused or is causing rises in creeks and streams. Currently, a wave crest is slowly traveling down the Humboldt River, causing at least a foot rise; however, no point along the Humboldt is expected to reach flood stage. Additional precipitation and mtn snowfall is anticipated tomorrow, especially in northern Elko county; however, far less amounts expected than the previous system. By next week, as valley temperatures climb into the 80s and even 90s, creeks and streams (i.e. Jarbidge, Lamoille) that feed off the high elevation snowfall are likely to rise...but how much and when is unknown. && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && 93/87/85/93
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Eight inches of snow fell at Jacks Peak Upper Snowtel 20 NE Tuscarora (JCUN2), Elevation 7376 feet.
Eight inches of snow fell at Jacks Peak Snowtel 19 NE Tuscarora (JAPN2), Elevation 8422 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, May 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: 890792, 890795.