Incoming trough off the Pacific Northwest coast flattened high pressure across the west allowing for increased potential for more widespread showers and thunderstorms through May 21 that continued into the early part of the following week.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Incoming trough off the Pacific Northwest coast flattened high pressure across the west allowing for increased potential for more widespread showers and thunderstorms through May 21 that continued into the early part of the following week.
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 3, 12:13 PM PST, 4 hours 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Reno NV 113 PM PDT Wed May 3 2023 .SYNOPSIS... A colder late season weather system remains stalled out over the central California coast this week bringing additional rounds of rain and snow showers along with a few thunderstorms. While snowmelt has slowed due to the cooler temps, waterways continue to run high. More seasonable conditions look to return the second week of May. && .SHORT TERM...Through Thursday Night... For those in far western NV and northeast CA, this morning was probably pretty aggravating. Waking up to a few inches of snow in May is not exactly what we want to see. But nevertheless, the cooler temps will continue today and tomorrow, with more hit-or- miss showers and light winds. The low pressure system that's been hanging around off the coast of California will finally get kicked east over Nevada the next couple days. A few isolated rain showers will be possible today, with a 30% chance across far western NV and 50% chance around Tahoe. QPF amounts will be light with these storms today, as there's weak ascent over western NV and not really any significant forcing mechanism to promote storm development and vertical growth. If a cell does form, there's a 90% chance to see less than 0.15" for a given location. Overnight lows tonight will sink into the mid 30's across western NV, and mid 20's in Sierra valleys. Tomorrow will start off fairly cloudy and chilly again as that low moves over Nevada. Showers will start moving into the region in the late morning/early afternoon hours and eventually move out in the evening. Snow levels will hover between 6000-6500' throughout the day tomorrow. Snow totals above 8000' are ranging from 3-7", while between 6000-8000' will see less than 2". Any locations below 6000' will stay rain, and with lots of dry air in the low levels tomorrow, precip amounts are likely to stay under 0.20". Showers across western NV will linger overnight into Friday, increasing in coverage and becoming more stratiform in nature. -Justin .LONG TERM...Friday Onward... Longwave troughing remains across the west through the end of the week and into the weekend. The potential for wetting rains, thunderstorm chances, and cooler conditions will all be part of the mix for the Sierra and western Nevada until potentially drier, more zonal flow develops closer to mid-month (50% chance). We are still targeting Friday to be a pretty wet day with ECMWF EFI showing a signal for QPF across much of the Basin and Range. As the upper low continues to slowly migrate eastward across western Nevada, precipitation will continue in the Sierra and spread to areas along the OR border. Westerly winds will pick up that afternoon and evening as well with wind gusts up to 30 mph possible. Even as this low exits the region, a couple more lows will move across far northern CA and NV into Saturday into Monday with the majority of the showers will be north of I80 and the OR border. Plan on periodic rain, snow, and pellet showers through early next week. Precipitation chances go down after Monday, but there still isn't a clear signal for high pressure to build across the Sierra and western Nevada for now. Keep your hopes up though, since the 8-14 day temperature and precipitation outlook are looking warmer and trending drier. -Edan && .AVIATION... Early afternoon observations reveal scattered low clouds residing across far western Nevada and the Sierra. Periods of light snow and FZFG at KTRK/KTVL earlier this morning has since dissipated with unrestricted VIS at all terminals. Breezy winds have been noted at KCXP/KMEV, otherwise winds remain generally light and variable for most terminal sites. Scattered cumulus will linger through the afternoon and into the evening, with some maturing into showers and possibly an isolated thunderstorm. Daily chances of rain/Sierra snow showers and isolated storms will continue through the remainder of the week and into the weekend, with an uptick in coverage Thursday and Friday. Snow totals will be rather meager for KTRK/KTVL/KMMH terminals with only a couple inches expected. Furthermore, the intense May sun angle will preclude significant runway accumulation through the weekend. Periods of MVFR/IFR and mountain obscuration is expected in the next several days, especially across Sierra terminals. FL100 winds will be strongest across central and southern Nevada this afternoon through around 06Z Thursday, reaching 30-40 kts from the southeast. Winds aloft will become generally light thereafter with some occasionally gusty southwest winds along the Sierra crest this weekend. SE surface winds east of US-95 and I-80 will increase to 20-25 kts in the late afternoon before diminishing overnight. Gusty southwest surface winds will develop Thursday afternoon for Sierra and Sierra Front terminals. -Salas && .REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories... NV...None. CA...None. &&
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service RENO NV 1246 PM PDT Wed May 3 2023 CAZ070>073-NVZ001>005-042200- Surprise Valley California-Lassen-Eastern Plumas- Eastern Sierra Counties-Greater Lake Tahoe Area-Mono County- Mineral and Southern Lyon Counties-Greater Reno-Carson City- Minden Area-Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake- Northern Washoe County- Including the cities of Cedarville, Eagleville, Fort Bidwell, Portola, Susanville, Westwood, Sierraville, Loyalton, South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City, Truckee, Markleeville, Bridgeport, Coleville, Lee Vining, Mammoth Lakes, Hawthorne, Yerington, Smith Valley, Mina, Schurz, Stateline, Glenbrook, Incline Village, Sparks, Verdi, Gardnerville, Virginia City, Fernley, Fallon, Lovelock, Silver Springs, Nixon, Imlay, Empire, and Gerlach 1246 PM PDT Wed May 3 2023 ...Cooler, Unsettled Weather this Week... * A slow moving low pressure system will provide daily chances for a mix of rain, snow, and pellet showers this week. A few thunderstorms will also be possible each day (20-30% chance). * Be prepared for snow showers in the Sierra. While warm road temperatures and the early May sun angle may limit accumulations on paved surfaces, bursts of heavy snow and/or snow occurring during the overnight hours may bring travel impacts to mountain passes. * Wednesday: Gusty southerly winds will develop across portions of Churchill, Mineral, Lyon, and Mono Counites with potential crosswind travel impacts to US-395 and US-95. * Temperatures will dip down 5 to 10 degrees below early May normals through this week. * Additional low pressure systems may track across the region into the weekend, with persistent cool and breezy conditions. This may yield more rain and snow showers with snow levels remaining around 5500 to 7000 feet. http://weather.gov/reno
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 debris flow, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
CHP reported a few inches of mud and gravel on CA-88 near mile marker 15 west of Woodfords.
CHP reported a fallen tree and flooding of the southbound lane of US-395 near Green Lakes Road intersection, with Green Creek overflowing out of its banks.
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, May 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: 1102015, 1102020.