A Pacific storm system brought moderate snow amounts and difficult travel conditions to the Sierra, along with gusty winds.
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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 REV wrote it up.
A Pacific storm system brought moderate snow amounts and difficult travel conditions to the Sierra, along with gusty winds.
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 Feb 2, 3:07 PM PST, 6 hours 53 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Reno NV
307 PM PST Tue Feb 2 2021
.SYNOPSIS...
Gusty winds will continue through Wednesday, with a period of
stronger winds late tonight into Wednesday morning for Mono
County. Colder air will return tonight and Wednesday with snow and
snow showers at times, mainly over northeast California and near
the Sierra crest. Drier conditions will then return with milder
temperatures toward the weekend.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
Most of the changes made earlier today will remain intact,
although with the Sierra snow band fizzling during the past couple
of hours, even the modest totals mentioned for the crest west of
Tahoe may not materialize. We are starting to see some convective
activity develop between Redding and Red Bluff, which could
eventually feed into northern and western Lassen County and join
forces with the approaching trough to produce the currently
projected snow amounts there.
Otherwise, wind has been the main issue for lee side areas with
mountain wave activity and rotors along the US-395 corridor in far
western NV. The strongest winds still look to occur late tonight
into Wednesday morning over Mono County with a small upper level
jet streak moving over that area. Parts of the US-95 corridor
near Walker Lake could also see a short burst of wind as well late
tonight. As the trough and cold front pushes across northern NV
on Wednesday, Pyramid Lake is on the borderline for possible lake
wind advisory conditions.
For Wednesday afternoon, bands of snow showers could develop
across northeast CA as a secondary upper disturbance reaches that
area. Farther east, high resolution guidance is attempting to
produce a narrow snow band across Pershing County with forcing
along the cold front. Accumulation isn't expected to be
substantial in either area, although a quick drop in visibility
could produce some travel concerns for portions of I-80 in west
central NV.
Otherwise, a blustery and chilly day is on tap across the region
on Wednesday, followed by decreasing winds late in the day through
Wednesday night (except for a short period of gusty NE-E ridge
winds over the Sierra). Thursday is looking cool with light winds
as a ridge of high pressure builds off the west coast. MJD
.LONG TERM...Friday and beyond...
A quiet period looks to settle in through the coming weekend as a
high pressure ridge builds just off the west coast, and a deep
long-wave trough remains over the Northern Plains and Midwest.
Fairly strong northerly ridgetop winds will affect the Sierra
Friday through the late morning Saturday before the ridge builds
closer to California. Temperatures look to warm to near-to-above
average highs Saturday and Sunday in low-mid 50s in western
Nevada valleys and mid-upper 40s for Sierra valley locations.
Light winds and valley inversions also look to make a comeback
this weekend, which will likely limit the amount of mixing and
subsequent warming.
Monday through Wednesday next week, the GFS and ECMWF continue to
trend towards weakening the ridge off the west coast, which could
allow a slider type system to deliver snow to the Sierra and a
rain-snow mix to lower elevations. The NBM has also begun to pick
up on this scenario. Therefore there is better confidence in a
low-end winter storm affecting our area next Tuesday or Wednesday
with a possible round of snow for the Sierra, gusty winds, and
light rain/snow for western Nevada. If you have plans for travel
or outdoor activities early-mid next week, be prepared for a
change in the weather. -Johnston
&&
.AVIATION...
Precipitation is looking less likely at all the main terminals,
with the Sierra airports now looking to just have wet pavement
tonight, with virtually no rain reaching the far western NV
terminals.
The main aviation issue will continue to be significant mountain
wave turbulence with periods of rotor activity and LLWS
continuing through Wednesday. The strongest winds are likely to
affect KMMH and lee side areas of Mono County late tonight into
mid-morning Wednesday.
Later in the day Wednesday these winds and turbulent conditions
will begin to ease, although some gusty winds could continue along
the crest at times Wednesday night through Friday. Overall VFR
conditions are likely to prevail through the rest of the week and
through the weekend. MJD
&&
.REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NV...Lake Wind Advisory from midnight tonight to 4 PM PST
Wednesday for Lake Tahoe in NVZ002.
Winter Weather Advisory until midnight PST tonight NVZ002.
CA...Winter Weather Advisory until 4 AM PST Wednesday above 5000 feet
in CAZ071.
Wind Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 4 PM PST Wednesday
CAZ073.
Lake Wind Advisory from midnight tonight to 4 PM PST Wednesday
for Lake Tahoe in CAZ072.
Winter Weather Advisory until midnight PST tonight CAZ072.
&&
For more information from the National Weather Service visit...
http://weather.gov/renoThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
NDOT weather station near Walker Lake hit 62 MPH.
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, February 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: 943663.