A cold front moving across Elko and Eureka county on the afternoon of August 21st caused high winds and severe gusts.
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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 cold front moving across Elko and Eureka county on the afternoon of August 21st caused high winds and severe gusts.
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 Aug 21, 2:11 PM PST, 28 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Elko NV 311 PM PDT Sat Aug 21 2021 .UPDATE...Thunderstorms have developed across White Pine, southeast Elko and southern Eureka counties. Red Flag Warning continues for eastern Elko fire zone. Some storms could be stronger with small hail and gusty winds. Isolated showers/storms possible along the northern border, but overall threat for dry lightning has diminished and therefore have cancelled Red Flag Warnings for Humboldt (437), western Elko (438) and central Elko (469). && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED AT 119 PM / SYNOPSIS...Elevated fire weather threat through this evening as thunderstorms with dry lightning and gusty outflow winds push across the northern border and down into White Pine county. Breezy winds also expected outside of any storms. A dry and warming trend expected Sunday onward. Smoke and haze will likely impact the region over the coming days. SHORT TERM...This afternoon through Monday evening... An upper-level low/trough will continue to pass through the region, dragging a cold front with it. Scattered showers and storms expected this afternoon/evening across northern border into White Pine county. Activity will be high based with a dry subcloud layer. PWAT values of around 0.50"-0.80", highest in eastern Elko and northeast White Pine counties. In addition, storm motions will likely be quick at around 20-30kts. This would tend to favor mainly dry storms with gusty downdraft/outflow winds. Some strong to potentially severe wind gusts possible over eastern Elko and White Pine counties where ample daytime heating and destabilization will lead to inverted V soundings and large DCAPE values. In addition, breezy to windy conditions expected across the area due to tighter gradient with frontal passage. Highs today in the upper 70s to 80s. Showers/storms should push out of the east by around 06Z. Cooler tonight with skies clearing and winds decreasing. Lows in the 40s to mid 50s. Southwest flow aloft expected over the region for Sunday and Monday with drier and warmer conditions expected. A subtle shortwave and elevated pocket of higher PWAT values passing through flow aloft could result in some cu buildups and mainly virga showers over eastern Elko county on Sunday afternoon/evening. Highs in the 80s to low 90s, warmest on Monday. Locally breezy winds possible each afternoon as well. Nighttime lows in the upper 40s to 50s. Smoke and haze from the large California fires will continue to impact the region, with degraded visibility and air quality possible. LONG TERM...Monday night through next Saturday... The models remain in agreement that high pressure will continue to migrate west through TX next week and reach the Desert Southwest near week's end. As a result, increasing temperatures, dry conditions and breezy southwest winds are forecasted. Haze and smoke are also possible next week. Early next week, daytime highs in the 80s are forecasted to rise to the lower 90s near next weekend. Overnight low temperatures are forecasted to range from the mid-40s early in the week to the to upper 50s next weekend. AVIATION...Scattered high based showers and thunderstorms expected through evening. A few showers/storms could approach the taf sites except TPH. Gusty downdraft/outflow winds will be possible. Breezy south to southwest winds 15-20g25-30kts through evening, decreasing tonight to generally less than 10kts, then becoming 10-15kts tomorrow afternoon. Haze and smoke expected with MVFR skies possible through the period. FIRE WEATHER...Critical fire conditions expected near the northern state border due to scattered dry lightning producing thunderstorms with gusty outflow winds. Breezy to windy conditions expected outside of any convection with frontal passage through this evening, but should remain below critical thresholds. A dry and warming trend expected Sunday into next week, with some breezy conditions possible each afternoon. .UPDATE...Thunderstorms have developed across White Pine, southeast Elko and southern Eureka counties. Red Flag Warning continues for eastern Elko fire zone. Some storms could be stronger with small hail and gusty winds. Isolated showers/storms possible along the northern border, but overall threat for dry lightning has diminished and therefore have cancelled Red Flag Warnings for Humboldt (437), western Elko (438) and central Elko (469). && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning until 11 PM PDT this evening for Eastern Elko County. && 87/87/89/87/87
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Elko NV
209 PM PDT Sat Aug 21 2021
NVZ035-039-212200-
South Central Elko County NV-White Pine County NV-
209 PM PDT Sat Aug 21 2021
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern White
Pine and southeastern Elko Counties through 300 PM PDT...
At 208 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 15
miles west of Currie, moving northeast at 30 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Currie and Big Bald Mountain.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3980 11553 3984 11568 4009 11545 4070 11474
4027 11446
TIME...MOT...LOC 2108Z 239DEG 49KT 4031 11504
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
87Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Elko NV
305 PM PDT Sat Aug 21 2021
NVZ033-035-039-212230-
Southeastern Elko County NV-South Central Elko County NV-
White Pine County NV-
305 PM PDT Sat Aug 21 2021
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of north central White
Pine and southeastern Elko Counties through 330 PM PDT...
At 304 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Currie, moving east at 35 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Currie, Lages Junction and White Horse Pass.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3997 11496 4021 11506 4052 11431 4019 11410
TIME...MOT...LOC 2204Z 256DEG 58KT 4018 11478
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
87The Elko radar (KLRX), 129 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:45 UTC.
1 high wind, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Station (UP994), 3.1 SE West Wendover, Elevation 4408 feet. High sustained winds due to line of thunderstorms moving through.
Station (COMN2) Combs Canyon raws, Elevation 6589 feet.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, August 2021
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: 971279, 971282.