A series of modest low pressure systems brought rain and snow showers Friday and Saturday to northeast CA and western NV. These systems also brought increased breezy winds and a subsequent cooling trend to the region.
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.
A series of modest low pressure systems brought rain and snow showers Friday and Saturday to northeast CA and western NV. These systems also brought increased breezy winds and a subsequent cooling trend to the region.
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 Mar 4, 2:40 AM PST, 6 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Reno NV
240 AM PST Fri Mar 4 2022
.SYNOPSIS...
A weak upper trough will bring light rain and snow shower chances
today, with a stronger system bringing the potential for heavier
snow showers this evening into Saturday. There will be gusty
winds this afternoon and evening followed by colder temperatures
for the weekend. Next week starts out cool then gradually warms
through mid week. No meaningful precipitation is expected next
week.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
Light snow is ongoing across western Lassen County and eastern
Modoc County due to a combination of forcing along an upper level
trough axis (divergence) and a surface cold front. With
temperatures in the low to mid 30s in valleys and the light nature
of the snow, roads appear just wet as evidenced by CALTRANS cams.
This morning, the upper trough axis will advance eastward with
just some light valley rain/snow showers and mountain snow showers
expected (little impact).
While this morning's trough is weak, a secondary system (currently
off the Oregon coast) is more potent and will provide a better
potential for widespread snowfall from early this evening through
Saturday. Winds will begin to increase this afternoon as the
sharp cold front nears. Westerly wind gusts between 30 and 40 mph
will be possible for valleys with gusts over exposed ridges increasing
to between 60 and 90 mph. Hazardous boating conditions, aviation
impacts (turbulence, local LLWS), and elevated concern for high-
profile vehicles are on tap.
This system will be much colder with snow levels crashing down to
all valley floors this evening (western NV) and overnight (west-
central NV including Hawthorne and Fallon). The best potential to
see periods of moderate to heavy snowfall and impacts on the passes
looks to be this evening as the cold core of the low passes overhead
along with coupled dynamical forcing from the jet and enhanced
low level frontogenesis. A few lightning strikes will be possible
this evening, especially in the Sierra, as the instability and
dynamics align. Anyone planning on mountain recreation should keep
this in mind before heading out.
Light to moderate snow showers will continue through the day on
Saturday in the Sierra and across northeast CA and northwest NV
before the low shifts eastward out of the area. Snowfall totals,
while not particularly impressive, could still yield 2-5 inches
in these areas with mountain locations above 7000' and areas above
5000' in northeast CA/northwest NV seeing the potential for 5-10
inches.
The lower valleys of western Nevada could see up to an inch of
snowfall on Saturday with foothill areas seeing as much as 1 to 3
inches. Locally heavier amounts will be possible in some areas of
northwest NV and northern NV if a TROWAL feature develops as
advertised in some simulations. However, given the time of year,
travel impacts in valleys are likely to be limited to the overnight
through mid-morning (~9 AM) hours. -Snyder/Fuentes
.LONG TERM... Next week and beyond...
Cluster analysis/ensembles continue to show a mostly quiet week
coming up as the mean large scale trough and shortwave track favor
the eastern Great Basin/Rockies. Any lingering showers with this
weekend's system should be moving out early Sunday with a drier
northerly flow enveloping the Sierra/western NV. Gusty northeast
ridge winds late Sunday into Monday will likely impact recreational
activities in the Sierra and may surface across Lake Tahoe, creating
choppy waters. Temperatures will remain cool and generally below
normal Sun-Mon.
Temperatures return closer to average under a shortwave ridge Tue-
Wed. Another slider system dropping south through the eastern Great
Basin late Wed-Thu will keep us from further warming. There is a low
probability for a few showers, especially across far northeast
CA/western NV, as the front clips the area but the brunt of the
limited moisture will track across the eastern Great Basin. Any
precipitation would be on the lighter side given the track and
fast movement of this shortwave/cold front. The most likely impact
would be another round of gusty northeast winds across the ridges
Thu-Fri morning.
Looking a bit further out to the following week going into mid March,
the flow appears to deamplify with more progressive shortwaves tracking
primarily north of the region (through the Pacific Northwest). GFS/ECMWF
ensembles show some IVT signals in the latitude 40-45 degree range.
So maybe some light precipitation could return to the northern Sierra
with mild and breezy periods for the eastern Sierra/western NV.
Hohmann
&&
.AVIATION...
* Chance of light rain/higher elevation snow showers will be
possible today (primarily after 16Z) with the best coverage KTRK-
KTVL-KMEV-KMMH. Given the light intensity and increasing March sun
angle, snow accumulation at Sierra airports is unlikely today.
* Gusty southwest winds are expected to ramp up this afternoon and
evening (surface gusts 25-35 kts, ridge gusts 60-75 kts) with
areas of mountain wave turbulence and pockets of LLWS along and ahead
of a cold frontal passage.
* A colder and better organized low pressure system will drop snow
levels to all valley floors this evening with most areas
receiving at least a dusting of snowfall by Saturday morning.
The atmosphere will become more unstable with isolated lightning
strikes possible this evening in the Sierra and across northeast
CA and far northwest NV. Convective bands will be capable of
enhanced snowfall rates of 2-3"/hr and result in locally higher
snowfall accumulations, mainly in the northern Sierra this
evening (KTRK-KTVL).
* Brisk post frontal northwest winds continue Saturday and turn
more northeast Sunday/early Monday with turbulence likely to
persist through the weekend. Snow showers and areas of lowered
CIGS Saturday will wind down Saturday night with dry conditions
returning Sunday.
Hohmann
.REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NV...Winter Weather Advisory from 5 PM this afternoon to 1 PM PST
Saturday NVZ002.
Lake Wind Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 9 PM PST this
evening for Pyramid Lake in NVZ004.
CA...Winter Weather Advisory from 5 PM this afternoon to 1 PM PST
Saturday CAZ071.
Winter Weather Advisory from 5 PM this afternoon to 1 PM PST
Saturday CAZ070.
Winter Weather Advisory from 5 PM this afternoon to 1 PM PST
Saturday CAZ073.
Winter Weather Advisory from 5 PM this afternoon to 1 PM PST
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.
2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter and the public reported a 24 hr. storm total snow of up to 3 around Incline Village and Diamond Peak Ski areas respectively.
A member of the public reported a 24 hr storm total snow of up to 6 around the Mt. Rose Ski Base.
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, March 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: 1004532, 1004537.