A low pressure system offshore the western US spun troughs over the region bringing periods of increased mountain snow and valley rain chances, as well as increased travel impacts through Sierra passes. Much of the precipitation was forecast to be confined to areas mostly south of I-80 with greatest snowfall staying along the Sierra crest in Alpine and Mono County.
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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.
A low pressure system offshore the western US spun troughs over the region bringing periods of increased mountain snow and valley rain chances, as well as increased travel impacts through Sierra passes. Much of the precipitation was forecast to be confined to areas mostly south of I-80 with greatest snowfall staying along the Sierra crest in Alpine and Mono County. Rainfall totals were marginal for most lower elevation areas across western Nevada outside of Mono and Mineral County.
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 Nov 16, 1:24 AM PST, 7 hours 36 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Reno NV 124 AM PST Thu Nov 16 2023 .SYNOPSIS... Scattered showers are expected through today. A more potent storm will bring periods of rain with mountain rain and snow Friday afternoon through Saturday and into early Sunday morning. Travel impacts in the Sierra from snow are possible at times. High pressure will yield quiet and warming weather for the first half of next week during the peak Thanksgiving travel period. && .DISCUSSION... * On/off light showers can be expected through today & tonight, mainly in the mountains, as a slow moving low pressure lingers off the California coastline. Precip amounts look minimal on average per HREF PMMs, generally under 0.1", however some instability this afternoon-evening could generate heavier showers in the mountains around Tahoe up into Plumas Co, with 0.25" possible there. Rain-snow lines look to stay above most passes, except higher ones such as Mt Rose. * Friday afternoon through Saturday continues to be the main period to watch for more widespread precipitation, as low pressure finally moves onshore. Pretty good bet for steady wetting rains in the mountains, with snow above 7500-8000', where snow amounts could be significant. NBM guidance hinting at 6-12" for these areas. For W Nevada, most models show more intermittent showers with rainfall mainly under 0.1", but there is some upside potential in the guidance with 10-25% chance of 0.25". * Saturday night into Sunday morning is where things could get more interesting travel impact wise with snow lines dropping coupled with incoming secondary upper wave/front. Can't rule out snow accumulations down to 6500' or so which would affect I-80 and other Sierra highways. Lots of variability in snow scenarios ranging from little/none to several inches. NBM 10th percentile snow lines would bring some flakes even down into W Nevada foothills. With this wave, W/NW winds would increase for a brief period to 20-30 mph, but nothing overly impactful. * Ridge builds in with warming temperatures and valley inversions Monday through Wednesday next week - good news for travelers. Some signs of a slider type system on Thanksgiving but still only a 10% POP in the NBM guidance this far out. It's getting to be that time of year... -Chris && .AVIATION... * Scattered showers will continue today across the Sierra into northeast CA with low clouds lingering this morning throughout the eastern Sierra. Webcams show some fog in the KMMH area as well, reducing conditions below airport minimums. Terrain obscurement and periods of MVFR will gradually improve later this morning and afternoon outside of shower activity. Conditions may become unstable enough this afternoon for an isolated thunderstorm vicinity KTVL/KTRK northward into Plumas/western Lassen Co (10-15% chance). * Otherwise, light winds and extensive cloud cover will hang around through Friday as an upper low remains offshore. If enough breaks occur tonight/early Friday morning, patchy fog/freezing fog could develop in locations such as the Martis Valley/KTRK (30% chance). * The upper low is forecast to move inland Friday night through early Sunday for a renewed period of widespread showers and terrain obscurement in MVFR conditions. Snow levels should remain high enough to mitigate accumulation impacts although the rain may briefly change over to snow at Sierra airports before precipitation tapers late Saturday night due to colder air filtering into the region. Moderate south to southwest winds mainly across the ridges, but there could be a brief period of gusty winds down to valley floors with the cold front late Saturday night/early Sunday. Hohmann && .REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories... NV...None. CA...None. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
A CoCoRahs station (NV-WH-161-Incline Village) located 1.3 mi S of Crystal Bay, CA, and a CO-OP observer station (INVN2) located in 1.2 mi E of Incline Village, NV, reported 24 hour rainfall storm totals of 0.60 inches and 0.55 inches respectively.
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, November 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: 1151439.