A cold low pressure system pushing into the Pacific Northwest significantly intensified thermal gradients and winds over the region from an accompanying cold frontal boundary that dropped south into the Sierra and western Nevada.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 cold low pressure system pushing into the Pacific Northwest significantly intensified thermal gradients and winds over the region from an accompanying cold frontal boundary that dropped south into the Sierra and western Nevada.
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 May 5, 1:53 PM PST, 1 hour 40 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Reno NV
253 PM PDT Thu May 5 2022
.SYNOPSIS...
A series of weather systems will impact the region through
Mother's Day weekend. Gusty winds with blowing dust today, with
stronger winds on Friday. Mother's Day weekend will feature much
cooler temperatures with periods of gusty winds and a potential
for rain and snow showers continuing through the early part of
next week.
&&
.SHORT TERM...Through Saturday Night...
At the start of this writing, around noon time, blowing dust is
clearly visible on webcams and satellite imagery coming off the east
side of Honey Lake, CA. This particular plume will reduce
visibilities over Herlong and based on the trajectory, keep the
skies over Sutcliffe, Nixon, and Fernley/Fallon a bit on the hazy
side as it rises and disperses. Other patches of blowing dust are
likely occurring or will develop shortly over western Nevada
through the afternoon hours, but satellite detection is being
hampered by mid/upper level cloud cover at this time...
Strong/gusty winds along with the aforementioned blowing dust,
choppy lake conditions, travel restrictions, and aviation impacts
can be expected today. Current radar trends have some light rain
showers over NW Lassen and Modoc, but as anticipated these should
be very light today with little in the way of accumulation. A
shower or two may sneak into Plumas and eastern Sierra counties
tonight, but chances are low (10-20%).
Yet another shortwave will slide through the region tomorrow
evening/overnight - this one digging a little farther south. More
widespread strong/gust winds and blowing dust will accompany this
system. Outdoor recreation and travel impacts are likely to
continue. Wind speeds, particularly north of Interstate 80, are
trending up. Blended probabilistic guidance, forecast soundings,
and the position of the upper level jet warrant an upgrade to a
High Wind Warning for northern portions of the forecast area
tomorrow afternoon into the overnight hours. With the slightly
more southern track of this shortwave, precipitation chances will
nudge upwards as well. However, a delayed arrival of the front
will likely usher in higher snow levels Friday evening and
overnight. Pass levels may see brief change over to a mix of
rain/snow, but little to no accumulation is anticipated at the
moment, however, so little to no impacts are anticipated except
for some slick wet roads.
Temperatures will return to a few degrees below average for this
time of year by Saturday - and noticeably cooler. Winds will relax
some, but still remain breezy through the day. Any lingering showers
during the day will just south of the Oregon border with snow levels
between 5,000-6,000 ft.
Last but not least, the strong/gusty winds over the next few days be
accompanied by dry air (afternoon minimum RH of upper single digits
to 20% west of US-95). While no widespread critical fuels exist in
our area yet, please be mindful of open flames or anything that
could cause a spark in this warm/windy environment, particularly in
western Nevada where some fuels may be dried out locally. -Dustin
.LONG TERM...Sunday through Late Next Week...
A deep upper low and a robust cold front will move into the western
US this Mother's Day weekend, providing strong winds, light rain and
snow showers, and cold temperatures, Sunday into Tuesday. Cold
mornings and cool afternoons are anticipated through mid-next
week.
WINDS:
* The biggest impact Sunday will be another increase in winds
across much of the area. A moderate 700-hPa jet steak with wind
speeds of 40-50 kts will push into the region late Sunday
morning and afternoon. The heart of this streak will be south of
I-80 into the Eastern Sierra and Mineral County. Forecast
soundings suggest excellent mixing in the afternoon from the
SFC-600 hPa. Therefore, there will be a more elevated potential
for higher winds in areas south of I-80 across Churchill,
southern Lyon, Mineral, and Mono County. Wind gusts look to top
out around 45-50 mph in these areas, with the Sierra front
seeing gusts 40-45 mph. Expect periods of blowing dust in the
Basin and Range, with the usual suspects of turbulence for
aviation, hazardous cross winds for high-profile vehicles, and
choppy lake conditions.
PRECIPITATION:
* Shortwave troughs embedded within the deep parent trough will
bring periods of snow showers across the Sierra and northeast
California Sunday evening into Tuesday. QPF numbers look to be
around 0.10-0.20" across the lower valleys of northeast
California, with the higher elevations seeing 0.25-0.75" of
liquid. Farther south into the northern Sierra and the Tahoe
Basin, liquid amounts look higher, with 0.50-1.00" looking likely,
with the higher amounts along the upper elevations of the Sierra.
Snowfall with this system will likely result in some road impacts,
especially over the higher mountain passes at night. Snow levels
will drop to the valley floors in western Nevada, so some flakes
could fly, but the chances of them sticking are pretty low given
the high sun angle and the warm ground.
COLD:
* Temperatures crash down Sunday into Wednesday as the strong cold
front pushes through the region. Both morning lows and afternoon
high temperatures will plunge at least 15-20 degrees below normal
Sunday-Wednesday beneath the slow moving upper low. What does this
mean? Afternoon highs in the 50s, and morning lows in the upper
20s to low 30s for the lower valleys. For Sierra valley locations,
afternoon highs will top out in the 40s, with morning lows in the
teens to 20s. Consider protecting sprinklers/irrigation systems
and sensitive vegetation before Monday morning as freezes are
likely.
END OF NEXT WEEK:
* The upper low will slowly lift away from the region late next
week, keeping our region below normal temperature-wise along
with some rain/snow showers for the middle to the end of next
week.
-Johnston
&&
.AVIATION...
Winds are blowing across the region early this afternoon. Winds will
continue to be an issue through this weekend.
THE REST OF TODAY:
* At area terminals, sustained surface winds 20-30 kts with gusts as
high as 45 kts. Mountain wave turbulence and LLWS will continue
overnight, with blowing dust reducing visibility and causing
mountain obscurations through this evening near KLOL-KNFL.
FRIDAY/FRIDAY NIGHT:
* Stronger winds will be on tap Friday, with terminal sites seeing
sustained winds 20-35 kts with gusts 40-50 kts. Higher gusts are
possible near KSVE. Late afternoon into the night hours will see
some of the worst LLWS and turbulence as enhanced downsloping of
the winds occurs. Blowing dust will again be possible at KLOL-KNFL-
KHTH. Light rain and snow showers could make it as far south as
the Tahoe Basin Friday night, creating mainly mountain
obscurations, with little to no accumulations on terminal
tarmacs.
SATURDAY-TUESDAY:
* Winds will remain elevated Saturday with breezes expected.
However, Sunday will feature another round of high winds. Cold
temperatures, and more widespread Sierra obscurations for Tahoe
Basin terminals are possible Sunday night-Tuesday with light
nighttime runway accumulations possible.
-Johnston/Hohmann
&&
.REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NV...High Wind Warning from 2 PM Friday to 2 AM PDT Saturday NVZ005.
Wind Advisory until 2 PM PDT Friday NVZ005.
Wind Advisory from 11 AM Friday to 2 AM PDT Saturday NVZ001.
Lake Wind Advisory until 9 PM PDT this evening for Lake Tahoe in
NVZ002.
Wind Advisory from 8 AM Friday to 2 AM PDT Saturday NVZ002.
Wind Advisory until 2 AM PDT Saturday NVZ003-004.
CA...High Wind Warning from 2 PM Friday to 2 AM PDT Saturday
CAZ070-071.
Wind Advisory until 2 PM PDT Friday CAZ070-071.
Wind Advisory from 11 AM Friday to 2 AM PDT Saturday CAZ073.
Lake Wind Advisory until 9 PM PDT this evening for Lake Tahoe in
CAZ072.
Wind Advisory from 8 AM Friday to 2 AM PDT Saturday CAZ072.
&&
For more information from the National Weather Service visit...
http://weather.gov/renoThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Mesonet station (TADC1) Tahoe Donner located 4.0 WNW of Truckee, CA in Nevada County reported a wind gust of 69 mph.
Mesonet station (DDSUM Summit) located at Conway Summit in Mono County reported a wind gust of 68 mph.
Mesonet station (MTH03) located 1.7 S Mammoth Mountain (Mammoth) Ski summit reported a wind gust of 78 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in California, May 2022
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: 1025967, 1025965, 1025966.