A strong atmospheric river event produced a multitude of conditions including heavy rain, mountain snows, and dangerous winds.
Every event with a place to put it; 16 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 strong atmospheric river event produced a multitude of conditions including heavy rain, mountain snows, and dangerous 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 Elko, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 24, 1:50 PM PST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Elko NV 250 PM PDT Sun Oct 24 2021 .SYNOPSIS...A second Pacific wave is expected to bring showers and gusty conditions to the region this Sunday and Monday. Look for the strongest conditions to occur Sunday night into Monday afternoon with moderate to heavy rainfall possible. Lighter rain and snow showers are expected to lingering into the mid-week before the regions drys out for the weekend. && .SHORT TERM...Today through Tuesday. Radar and satellite imagery is currently seeing the progression of showers across northern portion of Nevada while ground sensors continue to pick up decent wind gusts in Central Nevada. As we head into tonight, model agreement is still on schedule for the propagation of another Pacific wave and what is expected to be a much stronger atmospheric river event for Sunday night and Monday. While the Sierra Nevada Range will take a majority of the moisture, models still expect good amounts of moisture to bleed over into Northern and Central Nevada. Exact timing is still being debated by the models, but a band of moderated to possible heavy rain showers is expected early to late Monday morning with the frontal passage. Behind the front, lighter showers will persist into the overnight and Tuesday. Snow is also possible with this band of showers. However, some pre-frontal warm air advection has brought a lot of uncertainty on the exact snow levels expected during the frontal passage. Most models prefer to see snow levels lower after the heavier precipitation has fallen with better chances seen Monday night into Tuesday, but accumulation is still possible on mountain tops. Meanwhile to our south, latest model runs suggest just enough instability for a few lightning strikes to be embedded in an around the Tonopah area. Amount wise, latest guidance continues to push the potential for areas to see amounts greater than one inch of rain by Monday night for Northern and Central Nevada with amounts getting lighter around the eastern and southern border of our CWA. At the higher elevations, total accumulation is still trending high with a few locations looking at 1.8 to 1.7 inches of rain. Meanwhile, snow accumulation has been a little harder to pin down given the transition time. For now, the Ruby Mountains and East Humboldt range have the greatest accumulation with close to half a foot or more possible on the peaks by Monday night. Winds will also be a highlight for this second push as models see a strong low-level jet settle over the region alongside the secondary cold frontal passage. As we progress into the night, winds will look to increase all around the region with south central Nevada seeing gusty conditions and potential blowing dust. A Wind Advisory has been put in place for these areas until 5 pm Monday evening. Meanwhile, White Pine county is expected to see winds increase much higher with gusts reaching upwards of 60 mph in late night to early morning hours. A High Wind Warning has been but in place for the county from midnight till 5 pm Monday evening. As for temperatures, showers and the cold frontal passage will see temperatures dropping for the start of next week with afternoon highs returning to the 50s for a majority of locations Monday. Meanwhile, overnight temperature will see a lesser effect as low temperatures stay settled in the 40s to mid 30s tonight before dropping into the low 30s for Monday night. .LONG TERM...Tuesday evening through Sunday. Strong northwesterly flow over the CWA Tuesday evening weakens and exits into Utah by Wednesday morning as weak high pressure builds in from the west. Mountains of mainly northern Elko County may see a light rain or snow shower Tuesday night, however not expecting any impacts. Dry Wednesday through at least Friday morning across the CWA, with temperatures trending warmer. Trough energy moving through the Pacific NW may clip far northern NV on Friday and result in light shower activity. A closed low approaches the central CA coast Saturday morning, moves just onshore near San Francisco by Saturday evening, and then slides S/SE through California the remainder of the weekend. At this time the low looks to be just far enough west to keep showers out of the CWA. There should be some clouds nudging into at least the western portions of the CWA however. High temperatures are expected to be 5-10 degrees above normal this weekend across northern and central NV, with most valley locations in the upper 50s to low 60s. && .AVIATION...A very moist air mass is moving into NW NV this afternoon, which will gradually drift southeast across northern and central NV tonight and Monday. Record to near record rainfall amounts are expected during this precipitation event, with lowering CIGS that will obscure mountains, and at times result in IFR or lower conditions at terminals in heavier rains. Cold air moves in with this system which will combine with deep atmospheric moisture and lead to moderate to heavy icing. Winds will also be breezy to windy ahead of the approaching cold front. Strongest winds are expected across east-central NV, including KELY the rest of today and through Monday afternoon where gusts of 40-55kts will be likely. && .HYDROLOGY...A strong atmospheric river event will overspread light to moderate rain over northern Nevada this evening. As the upper level trough passes overhead late tonight into tomorrow morning, a band of moderate to potentially heavy rain will push south and east across the region. Expect precipitation to taper off tomorrow night with some lingering lighter showers into Tuesday. One to 1.5+ inches possible for Humboldt county, northwest Elko county and Ruby Mountains. Around a half to one inch across the rest of the CWA. Area rivers and streams could see modest rises, but should remain well below flood stage as current water flows are low due to ongoing drought. Some smaller streams and creeks in higher terrain could see more rapid rises. Lamoille Canyon will also be of concern for potential of slides in areas still recovering from the slides in August. && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory from 8 PM this evening to 5 PM PDT Monday for Ruby Mountains and East Humboldt Range-South Central Elko County- Southeastern Elko County. High Wind Warning from 8 PM this evening to 5 PM PDT Monday for White Pine County. Wind Advisory until 5 PM PDT Monday for Northeastern Nye County- Northwestern Nye County-Southern Lander County and Southern Eureka County. && 94/96/96
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 high wind, 8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Station (DNEP8) 4.3E Baker, Elevation 5185 feet.
Station (MORN2) Morey Creek Raws. Elevation 5500 feet.
Eight inches fell at Granit Peak (GRPN2) Snotel. Elevation 8501 feet.
Nine inches fell at Toe Jam (TJMN2) Snotel. Elevation 7700 feet.
Station (KP68) Eureka Airport Asos. Elevation 5952 feet.
Eight inches fell at Snowstorm Mountain (SSMN2) Snotel. Elevation 7420 feet.
Station (TMBN2) Timber Mountain, Elevation 9000 feet.
Station (PANNV) 12.5 E Pinto Summit, Elevation 6527 feet.
Station (UP990) 10.4 E Wells, Elevation 6121 feet.
Mather Raws (MTHN2), Elevation 9268 feet.
Eleven inches fell at Jacks Peak (JAPN2) Snotel. Elevation 8420 feet.
Station (CMP26) Warm Spring Summit, Elevation 7550 feet.
Eight inches fell at Lewis Peak (LWPN2) Snotel. Elevation 7537 feet.
Ten inches fell at Big Creek Summit (BCSN2). Elevation 8684 feet.
Nine inches fell at Green Mountain (GRMN2) Snotel. Elevation 8000 feet.
Eight inches fell at Lamoille #3 (LMLN2) Snotel. Elevation 7700 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, October 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: 984182, 984184, 983723, 983728, 984183, 983727, 984180, 984186, 984185, 984178, 983726, 984179, 983724, 983725, 983729, 983730.