A winter storm brought moderate to heavy snowfall accumulations to western Nevada, which created delays and travel issues for the early week commute the 24th into the 26th. Snow showers continued into the evening hours of the 25th for areas around Reno, with a lake-effect band also occurring over areas southeast of Lake Tahoe including Heavenly Ski Area and areas of the southwestern Carson Valley.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 REV wrote it up.
A winter storm brought moderate to heavy snowfall accumulations to western Nevada, which created delays and travel issues for the early week commute the 24th into the 26th. Snow showers continued into the evening hours of the 25th for areas around Reno, with a lake-effect band also occurring over areas southeast of Lake Tahoe including Heavenly Ski Area and areas of the southwestern Carson Valley.
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 24, 3:56 AM PST, 9 hours 4 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Reno NV
356 AM PST Sun Jan 24 2021
.SYNOPSIS...
The next storm arrives this evening through Monday, bringing more
snow and some breezy winds. A significant storm will impact the
region Wednesday and Thursday, with the potential for heavy snow
accumulation in the Sierra and even into western Nevada. Heavy
mountain snow may continue into the weekend.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
After a chilly morning, another round of snow begins this evening
bringing light to moderate snow accumulation across much of the
region and potential headaches for Monday morning's commute.
Expect delays and slick driving conditions from the Sierra across
western and central Nevada. Changes from the previous forecast
were to linger snow chances south of Highway 50 where northerly
flow will have an upslope component along terrain; especially
in southern Mono County which could see snow and snow showers
continuing into Monday evening now.
Snow amounts remain unchanged for the region: 1 to 4 inches across
western Nevada, 3 to 6 inches for Sierra valleys and the Tahoe
Basin, and 6 to 12 inches for higher elevations in the Sierra.
Some acute issues could arise from lake enhanced snow bands off of
Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake with localized higher totals and
heavier snowfall rates possible. The eastern shore of Lake Tahoe
and adjacent valleys along the Sierra Front are good candidates
for narrow banding locations Sunday night and early Monday
morning. Winds switch more northerly just prior to daybreak with
potential for bands off of the long axis of Pyramid Lake reaching
Interstate 80 in the vicinity of Fernley.
While winds will generally be much lighter than with average
storms for the region, cold air advection along and behind the
cold front will promote wind gusts around 30 mph. This could blow
around some snow causing lower visibility at times, especially
east of the Virginia Range mid and late Monday morning. Boyd
.LONG TERM...Wednesday into next weekend...
...Major Winter Storm Expected Late Tuesday-Friday Morning...
After a sluggish start to our snow totals so far this season, winter
seems to want to happen all at once as a very active pattern is
expected to take hold into the start of February. The big storm in
all of this is targeting its peak strength in the late Tuesday into
late Thursday timeframe with a solid 36-48 hour period of heavy snow
across the Sierra. Multiple feet of snow are expected in this
duration as an atmospheric river moisture source pushes into the
Sierra. While 3-4 feet of snow is what looking most favorable during
this stretch along the Sierra crest (1-3' lower Sierra basins),
there is potential on the high end to reach 5-6 feet along the crest
mainly where the atmospheric river plume pivots back northward as
the trough digs offshore. Currently odds favor just south of the
Tahoe Basin into Alpine and Mono counties, but still a bit far out
to pin this down with solid confidence.
A period of gusty southerly winds look to accompany this storm
mainly Tuesday night into Wednesday morning which will likely yield
whiteout conditions in areas of blowing snow. This will make travel
through the Sierra near impossible. If you need to travel across the
Sierra next week, Tuesday morning might be your only decent
opportunity to do so. After this storm tapers down on Friday,
additional reinforcing waves of moderate to heavy snowfall
are possible Saturday into the start of February.
Areas across western Nevada will also see potential for moderate to
heavy snowfall with this storm with intermittent periods of a
rain/snow mix during the afternoon hours on Wednesday and Thursday.
Foothill areas above 5000' should do well in terms of snowfall with
potential for 6-12". Lower valleys along US-395 could see around 6
inches broken up into periods of a couple inches at a time Wednesday
morning and then with a change over back to snow Wednesday night
into Thursday morning. As the main atmospheric river begins to pivot
back northward, western Nevada will become more shadowed out through
the day on Thursday. The main axis of the low shifts inland and will
begin to taper down snowfall through the day on Friday, but as
mentioned before, additional reinforcing waves look to to continue
through the weekend and into early the following week. Fuentes
&&
.AVIATION...
Low level stratus decks will continue this morning with periods of
IFR conditions possible mainly for KMEV and KCXP through sunrise. A
lull will occur tonight through Sunday afternoon before another
storm moves into the region Sunday night into Monday. Terminals in
western Nevada could see 1-4 inches of snow, with 3-6 inches
possible for Sierra terminals. IFR conditions will be more
widespread than in the previous storm.
A significant winter storm is looking increasingly likely by late
Tuesday into early Friday with significant Sierra and western Nevada
snow accumulations possible. Periods of IFR conditions, gusty winds,
turbulence, and LLWS are likely with this system. -Johnston/Fuentes
&&
.REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NV...Winter Weather Advisory from 7 PM this evening to 4 PM PST
Monday NVZ001-004.
Winter Weather Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 10 AM PST
Monday NVZ002.
Winter Storm Watch from Tuesday afternoon through late Thursday
night NVZ002.
Winter Weather Advisory from 7 PM this evening to 10 AM PST
Monday NVZ003.
Winter Storm Watch from Tuesday evening through Thursday
afternoon NVZ003.
CA...Winter Weather Advisory from 7 PM this evening to 4 PM PST
Monday CAZ073.
Winter Weather Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 4 AM PST
Monday CAZ071.
Winter Storm Watch from Tuesday afternoon through late Thursday
night CAZ071.
Winter Storm Watch from Tuesday evening through late Thursday
night CAZ073.
Winter Weather Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 10 AM PST
Monday CAZ072.
Winter Storm Watch from Tuesday afternoon through late Thursday
night CAZ072.
&&
For more information from the National Weather Service visit...
http://weather.gov/renoThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow, 1 winter weather, 1 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Over the Basin and Range of western Nevada, 4.5 inches of snow fell at Fernley with 3.6 inches falling at Lovelock. Slow going road travel was the main impact.
Along the eastern portion of the Lake Tahoe Basin, 7 inches of snow fell at Heavenly Ski Resort, 6 inches a Diamond Peak Ski Area, and 6 inches at Mount Rose Ski Area. Some lake enhancement likely occurred over the southeastern shore, which contributed to the higher snowfall amount at Heavenly Ski Resort.
Moderate to heavy snowfall was reported across much of the area into the night of the 25th with areas in the North Valleys of Reno measuring 3 to 6.5 inches of snowfall, up to 5 inches in northern Reno, with 4.5 to 6 inches noted across Sparks and Spanish Springs, 2.5 inches in western Reno, 5 to 6.2 inches in south Reno, and up to 10 inches along the southwestern portion of the Carson Valley due to a lake-effect snow band the evening of the 26th. A slow-going commute with delays occurred for many areas.
Trained Weather Spotter 2 miles south-southeast of Sheridan reported 7.5 inches of lake-effect snowfall during the evening of the 25th.
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, January 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: 949395, 949398, 949396, 949397.