Another potent spring storm brought more gusty wind and snow impacts to the region as an accompanying upper trough pushed a healthy dose of Pacific moisture and multiple waves of forcing into the Sierra and western Nevada. Sierra ridge experienced 80+ mph wind gusts while wind prone areas in Mono County saw 60+ mph wind gusts.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
Another potent spring storm brought more gusty wind and snow impacts to the region as an accompanying upper trough pushed a healthy dose of Pacific moisture and multiple waves of forcing into the Sierra and western Nevada. Sierra ridge experienced 80+ mph wind gusts while wind prone areas in Mono County saw 60+ mph wind gusts. Some mountain areas above 6000 feet saw heavy snow that added 1 to 2 feet of new accumulations to some higher Sierra locations.
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 Apr 20, 1:43 PM PST, 3 hours 37 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Reno NV
243 PM PDT Wed Apr 20 2022
.SYNOPSIS...
A strong winter-like storm will bring widespread snow and wind
impacts throughout the Sierra beginning tonight and likely
persisting through early Friday. Lower elevations will see gusty
winds with periods of rain, possibly mixing with or changing to
snow Thursday night. Dry weather returns this weekend with a
warming trend to above average temperatures for next week.
&&
.SHORT TERM...through Friday night...
Winter makes possibly its last hurrah for the 2021-22 season with
a potent Pacific storm. Impressive moisture tap for an April
system along with enough cold air to produce a solid serving of
snow for the Sierra/Tahoe region and parts of northeast CA above
5000 feet. Periods of rain or a rain/snow mix will spill into
lower elevations, along with gusty winds for all elevations
especially during the early stages of the storm.
All wind and snow headlines remain in effect with the main details
on projected gust speeds and snow amounts included in the respective
warning and advisory products.
The leading edge of the precip band is approaching northeast CA at
this time. As upper level forcing increases this evening and
overnight (a few thunderstorms could pop up in north central CA),
the band will become more intense with snowfall rates of 1-2"/hour
and even up to 3"/hour for short bursts in the warning area from
Tahoe northward. Snow levels will generally range from 5000-5500
feet for northeast CA, and around 6000 feet from Tahoe to far
western NV tonight, edging downward by about 500 feet by Thursday
morning as the cold front moves through. The enhanced precip
along the front could even produce wet (non-accumulating) snow
down to the 4500-5000 foot range as the precip spills into western
NV during the early-mid morning hours.
During the day Thursday, the Sierra is likely to see steady snow
still capable of accumulation even on pavement, although at a
slower rate compared to late tonight. A few afternoon lightning
strikes/flashes are also possible, mainly west of the Sierra
crest, but a few cells could creep over into northeast CA or in
closer proximity to the crest as instability increases ahead of
the main low as it reaches the CA coast. For lower elevations, the
precip becomes more spotty after the main cold front passage with
gusty winds continuing through the afternoon.
For Thursday night/early AM Friday, the next push of moisture
spilling into the valleys arrives as the upper trough moves inland,
with enhanced snowfall rates of 1-2"/hour returning to the Sierra.
The best forcing and precip look to shift to areas near and south
of US-50, with lesser precip for northeast CA-northwest CA. Snow
levels edge farther downward to near 4000-4500 feet, although the
air and pavement temperatures are unlikely to really fall below
freezing and lower elevation precip looks to be lighter around
the main urban areas, resulting in mainly wet roads and spotty
accumulations from a dusting up to an inch or so on unpaved
surfaces. The low moves through a bit faster during the day Friday,
with the steady precip ending and a few showers popping up in the
afternoon. There's a small potential for isolated lightning in
northeast CA, then shower activity winds down near and after
sunset. MJD
.LONG TERM (Saturday through next week)...
A modest ridge of high pressure builds overhead for the weekend.
This will bring milder temperatures compared to late week with
highs topping out within a few degrees of seasonal normals (50s
and 60s for Sierra and lower valleys, respectively). Other than
some passing high clouds it will be generally sunny over the
weekend with modest winds from the north to east.
Next week, a trough of low pressure sets up near the Pacific
Northwest coast. This should bring an uptick in SW-W winds
(nothing too strong noted at this time), while temperatures
remain mild with the much colder air aloft associated with the
Pac NW trough expected to stay north of the region. As for
precipitation, the majority of the region has little or no chance
with stable southwest flow aloft; however, there are a few
simulations (less than 20% of solutions) that bring light rain and
high elevation snow to far northeast CA and northwest NV in the
Tuesday-Wednesday time frame.
-Snyder
&&
.AVIATION...
* An approaching cold and wet storm has brought increased S-SW
winds today (currently gusting 20-35 kts for terminals in
eastern CA/western NV). The winds will persist into tonight
ahead of a cold front, with widespread snow impacts for Tahoe
terminals developing overnight as the front approaches (except
for KMMH where notable snow CIG/VIS impacts may not start until
after daybreak Thursday). Lower northeast CA areas will see
deteriorating CIGS and widespread terrain obscuration with SHRA
starting this evening. Widespread snow (rain to snow lower
valleys of northeast CA Thu AM), terrain obscuration, and
substantially degraded CIGS/VIS in the Sierra and northeast CA
will persist into Friday.
* Widespread spillover rain into western Nevada terminals
(RNO/CXP/MEV) will likely hold off until 09Z-12Z Thursday (2-5
AM PDT) as the cold front moves into the area. Ahead of the
front (within about 6 hours or so), LLWS, turbulence, and higher
mountain obscurations near the Sierra will increase. CIGS/VIS
deteriorate for western NV terminals for a few hours Thursday
morning before the front moves south and prevailing rain breaks
into SHRA.
* Any light snow or a light rain/snow mixture for western NV
terminals will not arrive until later Thursday evening (after ~8
PM PDT/03Z Friday) and/or early Friday AM. If snow remains
light, it might have a hard time sticking to paved areas with
temperatures early Friday ~30-35 degrees; however, heavier bands
(unpredictable) would have the potential to bring light, slushy
accumulations to far western NV terminals.
-Snyder
&&
.REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NV...Lake Wind Advisory until 5 PM PDT this afternoon for Lake
Tahoe in NVZ002.
Winter Storm Warning from 5 PM this afternoon to 11 AM PDT
Friday NVZ002.
Wind Advisory from 8 PM this evening to 1 PM PDT Thursday NVZ003.
Lake Wind Advisory until 8 PM PDT this evening for Pyramid Lake
in NVZ004.
CA...Winter Storm Warning from 5 PM this afternoon to 11 AM PDT
Friday above 5000 feet in CAZ071.
Wind Advisory from 8 PM this evening to 5 AM PDT Thursday CAZ073.
Winter Storm Warning from 5 AM Thursday to 11 AM PDT Friday
CAZ073.
Lake Wind Advisory until 5 PM PDT this afternoon for Lake Tahoe
in CAZ072.
Winter Storm Warning from 5 PM this afternoon to 11 AM PDT
Friday 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, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Mesonet station (NV016) along Mt. Rose Highway, and located 2.0 mi NE of Mt. Rose Ski Base reported a peak wind gust of 63 mph.
The public located 1.0 at the Heavenly Valley Ski resort reported a 24hr snowfall of 10 inches with storm total snow reaching 14 inches.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, April 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: 1020476, 1020484.