Ample mid and upper level moisture that streamed across western Nevada, coupled with summer daytime heating, increased instability across the region that allowed for increased shower and thunderstorm chances (15-30%) that extended mostly south of US-50 from southern Mono County through Mineral counties. These storms were forecast to be a hybrid variety capable of gusty outflow winds up to 50…
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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.
Ample mid and upper level moisture that streamed across western Nevada, coupled with summer daytime heating, increased instability across the region that allowed for increased shower and thunderstorm chances (15-30%) that extended mostly south of US-50 from southern Mono County through Mineral counties. These storms were forecast to be a hybrid variety capable of gusty outflow winds up to 50 mph, heavy rainfall, and isolated dry strikes outside of storm cores.
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 Jul 18, 12:45 PM PST, 4 hours 33 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Reno NV 145 PM PDT Tue Jul 18 2023 .SYNOPSIS... Afternoon showers and storms are expected again this afternoon, mainly south of US-50, with a few cells possible again overnight into early Wednesday morning. Additional storms will be possible again on Wednesday afternoon before drier weather prevails after mid-week. Enhanced zephyr breezes and dry conditions could create localized critical fire weather conditions this afternoon. Otherwise expect lighter winds and another heat up this weekend with W.NV valleys reaching back over 100 degrees. && .DISCUSSION... Hot weather continues this week as western Nevada valleys warm into the upper 90s to near 100 over the next several days. While these highs are only 5 degrees above average, we are at our climatologically hottest time of year so even slightly above average temperatures can result in heat impacts this week. There continues to be increasing confidence that hotter temperatures could materialize once again this weekend as a four corners high pressure ridge strengthens. While not quite to the level of our record heat last weekend, highs for W.Nevada valleys could return into the 100-105 range by Friday with Sierra valleys reaching into the lower 90s and valleys across Plumas, Lassen, and E.Modoc counties warming to upper 90s to near 100. The heat will also aid in firing a few showers and thunderstorms once again this afternoon and Wednesday afternoon. Best potential favors formation across Mono and Mineral counties (30-45% chance) with even a few isolated showers/storms as far north as the Pine Nut range and extended eastward into Pershing County south of US-50. While most of this activity will wane by this evening, there is a 10-15% chance for a few overnight cells developing roughly south of US-50 from the Tahoe Basin through the Basin and Range. Any storms that develop will be capable of producing gusty outflow winds between 40-50 mph, areas of blowing dust, localized heavy rainfall, small hail, and new fire starts from lightning. Otherwise expect enhanced zephyr breezes with gusts 25-35 mph and dry conditions to create elevated fire weather concerns for any areas with cured fine fuels. From Wednesday onward, more typical zephyr-type breezes are anticipated as high pressure rebuilds across the southwest. This will also bring back poor RH recoveries across mid-slope and ridgetop areas this weekend, particularly across western Nevada. Fuentes && .AVIATION... Scattered showers and thunderstorms will fire again this afternoon with generally along and south of US-50. KMMH could see 30-45% chance of showers/storms through 05z with a less than a 10% chance for Tahoe and W.NV terminals. An additional round of convection will be possible late tonight into Wednesday morning (08-15z) with a 15-20% chance across Tahoe and W.NV terminals. Additional rounds of thunderstorms will once again remain possible Wednesday afternoon mainly from Mono, S.Lyon counties extending east into Mineral and portions of Churchill counties (15-25% chance). For both days, brief periods of MVFR/IFR in heavy downpours, small hail, outflow wind gusts of 40+ kt, and lightning will accompany the stronger thunderstorms each afternoon/evening with possible BLDU at KNFL/KLOL/KHTH. Otherwise, VFR conditions will prevail with typical southwest-west breezes each afternoon: 25-30 kt today and then 15-20 kt from Wednesday onward. Fuentes/MJD && .REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories... NV...None. CA...None. &&
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Reno NV
344 PM PDT Tue Jul 18 2023
NVZ001-004-182330-
Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake NV-
Mineral and Southern Lyon Counties NV-
344 PM PDT Tue Jul 18 2023
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern
Churchill, northwestern Mineral and central Lyon Counties through 430
PM PDT...
At 343 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Wabuska, or 26 miles south of Lahontan Reservoir, moving northeast at
25 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Wabuska, Us 95 At Lyon-Churchill Co Line, Us 50 At Lyon-Churchill Co
Line, Yerington Municipal Airport and Alt U.S 95 At Lyon-Mineral Co
Line.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3895 11907 3906 11925 3946 11910 3922 11856
TIME...MOT...LOC 2243Z 218DEG 20KT 3907 11910
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
CMcSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Reno NV
532 PM PDT Tue Jul 18 2023
NVZ001-003-004-190130-
Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake NV-
Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area NV-
Mineral and Southern Lyon Counties NV-
532 PM PDT Tue Jul 18 2023
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of Churchill, southern
Washoe, south central Pershing and northern Lyon Counties through 630
PM PDT...
At 529 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Fallon, moving east at 15 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could create blowing dust along US-50, US-95
and I-80, may knock down tree limbs, and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Fallon, Lovelock, Lahontan Reservoir, Fernley, Hazen, Oreana,
Middlegate, Stillwater, Unionville, Silver Springs, Trinity
Junction, Junction U.S 50 And Nv 121 (Dixie Valley Rd), Junction
I-80 And Nv 396/857 (exit 112), Junction U.S 50 And NV 839, Junction
U.S 50 And NV 116 (Stuart Rd), Junction I 80 And U.S 95 (exit 83),
Silver Hill, Frenchman, Fairview Peak and Dixie Valley.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3918 11922 3965 11928 4052 11812 3921 11776
TIME...MOT...LOC 0029Z 256DEG 13KT 3946 11880
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
HRThe Reno radar (KRGX), 129 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:18 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flooding was reported along NV 338, which closed the highway from Wellington to the CA/NV border. Location is approximate based on radar.
NV-359 closed in Mineral County near mile post 25 due to flooding. Reported by NDOT.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, July 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: 1140624, 1140625.