Uncertainty with the storm track of this particular winter storm system contributed to a variance of projected precipitation scenarios as this system dropped south near the California coast. Yet enough moisture remained to produce some light snow in the Sierra and western NV.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
Uncertainty with the storm track of this particular winter storm system contributed to a variance of projected precipitation scenarios as this system dropped south near the California coast. Yet enough moisture remained to produce some light snow in the Sierra and western NV. Locally higher storm totals reached 2-5 inches along the US-395 corridor from Doyle into the Reno-Carson Metropolitan area. Some travel impacts were incurred for area mountain passes and lower valley roadways overnight Friday into Saturday morning.
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 Feb 11, 2:27 PM PST, 2 hours 48 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Reno NV
227 PM PST Sat Feb 11 2023
.SYNOPSIS...
Snow showers are tapering off, but gusty northeast to east winds
could still impact Sierra recreation activities. Monday will bring
warmer conditions and more gusty winds, followed by a sharp drop
in temperature and snow showers that will persist through
Thursday. It is important to stay updated on the latest weather
and be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions.
.DISCUSSION...
Current satellite imagery shows low pressure that contributed to the
earlier periods of light snow around the Lake Tahoe basin, the
eastern Sierra, and far western NV will continue to slide south
along the central California coast. Snow showers will linger along
the Sierra crest into Mono County into the evening before quickly
dissipating after sundown. Northeast and east winds will continue to
intensify overnight with Sierra ridge top winds peaking around
60-70 mph tomorrow afternoon into the evening. Gusty northeast to
east winds will continue to impact Lake Tahoe overnight tonight.
The remainder of the region will see lighter winds and nice near
normal temperatures Sunday through Monday as high pressure briefly
builds over the region. With the lighter winds, clearing skies,
and increased overnight cooling, there is the potential for patchy
freezing fog developing around the Martis and Sierra valleys as
well as Mono Lake Basin.
Although game day looks to be promising weather-wise, the next
winter season storm looks to bring another round of snow, gusty
winds, and colder temperatures to the Sierra and western NV late
Monday into Tuesday. Its lingering effects look to carry over for
the eastern Sierra east across southern Lyon and Mineral counties.
Model guidance projects an upper trough driving east into the
Pacific Northwest Monday that makes a right turn and deepens south-
southeast across northeast CA and northern NV. An attendant cold
front will quickly pass into western NV and undergo some enhancement
as it sweeps southeast and east into the Great Basin region. Gusty
25-35 mph westerly winds ahead of the front will shift from the
northwest and notch up to 30-40mph. Gusty westerly ridge top winds
peaking at 60 mph will shift south across the eastern Sierra/Mono
County overnight Monday and and slacken from a more northerly
direction through Tuesday.
Current model guidance does show better agreement spatially, but it
still wavers as to timing and projected precipitation amounts over
the region. Medium range ensemble guidance shows a somewhat drier
scenario, whereas the GFS and European ensemble guidance favors a
slightly wetter approach across the Sierra and western NV and the
cold front pushes bands of light to moderate snow showers into
western NV overnight Monday into Tuesday. Blended guidance projects
a low chance (10-20%) of at least a couple inches of new snow around
the Lake Tahoe Basin south along the eastern Sierra. Higher
elevation areas of the Basin Range east of US-95 may will see better
snow chances with blended guidance showing 30-40% chance for at
least 2 inches and 20% chance for amounts up to 4 inches. As the
system continues to exit the region, enough forcing and moisture
will produce periods of light to moderate snow showers that will
continue to sweep south along the eastern Sierra bringing some
enhanced snowfall into southern Lyon and Mineral counties late
Tuesday afternoon and evening.
The most notable impact will be the sudden drop in temperatures
across the region as colder continental air spreads south and
southeast across the region. Blended guidance shows at least a 20
degree drop in daytime highs across the Sierra and western NV.
Overnight lows will bring on the chill as temperatures plunge into
the single digits to below zero in some Sierra valleys with low to
mid-teens for western NV valleys. Sierra ridgetop winds gusting 60-
70 mph Tuesday and Wednesday will make for very frigid wind chills
for recreation activities around the Lake Tahoe Basin and Mono
county. As high pressure begins to build once more over the region
temperatures will bump 5-10 degrees but still remain below seasonal
averages through next week.
Looking into the later half of next week, another pacific winter
system will drop in for a visit into the western US. But ensemble
guidance shows too much uncertainty with regards to storm trajectory
at this rather extended forecast range. But guidance does show
little slowdown in the current active pattern over the eastern
Pacific. -Amanda
&&
.AVIATION...
* Areas of light snow showers that bring brief periods of reduced
VIS/CIG and MVFR/IFR conditions to the eastern Sierra terminals
(KBAN-KMMH) will continue to taper-off into the evening. The winds
shifting direction to the east and northeast will persist along
the Sierra crest with gusts at or near 50 kts through Sunday
evening. The winds at FL100 are expected to peak 03-12Z Sunday
from the east-southeast at 45-50kts. This may result in periods of
turbulence and low-level wind shear for Sierra airports (KSVE-KTRK-
KTVL).
* VFR conditions and lighter northeasterly winds will continue for
western NV terminals overnight tonight through Sunday. With the
clearing skies and added cooling, there is a low chance for patchy
freezing fog formation across parts of the Martis and Sierra
Valleys. A new weather system is expected to arrive on Monday PM
with gusty northwest to west winds. There will be another round of
snow showers, gusty north-northeast winds, and much colder air
that will arrive overnight Monday and continue into Tuesday.
-Amanda
&&
.REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NV...Lake Wind Advisory until 4 AM PST Sunday for Lake Tahoe in
NVZ002.
CA...Lake Wind Advisory until 4 AM PST Sunday for Lake Tahoe in
CAZ072.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Mesonet station (MTH03) Mammoth Mountain located 1.7 mi S of the Mammoth Mountain Ski Summit, CA, reported a maximum wind gust of 69 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 2023
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: 1086064.