A strong wind event unfolded along and west of the Sierra crest overnight on the 14th that continued through the 15th. IDSS messaging focused on downed trees and powerlines, as well as choppy lake waters and turbulence for aviation concerns.
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.
A strong wind event unfolded along and west of the Sierra crest overnight on the 14th that continued through the 15th. IDSS messaging focused on downed trees and powerlines, as well as choppy lake waters and turbulence for aviation concerns. This included periods of blowing dust in the western Nevada Basin and Range.
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 14, 1:47 AM PST, 3 hours 13 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Reno NV
247 AM PDT Thu Mar 14 2024
.SYNOPSIS...
An ongoing wind event will continue into Friday afternoon along and
west of the Sierra crest. Prepare for downed trees and powerlines
with choppy lake waters and bumpy flights. Dry, spring-like
weather is expected over the weekend and into early next week.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
The much-anticipated Sierra wind event is underway as gusts have
reached 100 mph at Mammoth Mountain and 118 mph along the crest
above Palisades per latest surface obs. The most impressive
reading, however, comes from a ridgetop site near Kirkwood where
gusts reached 181 mph! Wind gusts across lower elevation Sierra
communities near the Tahoe Basin (i.e. South Lake Tahoe, Truckee)
have remained in the 20-30 mph range thus far with gusts of 30-40
mph on Lake Tahoe.
Northeast to east winds along and west of the Sierra crest will
remain quite robust and potentially damaging through Friday morning,
although will vary in strength based on fluctuations in the upper
level flow and/or magnitude of cold air advection/isentropic descent
over the Sierra. There appears to be two distinct periods
featuring a maxima in winds: (1) Now into the early afternoon (2)
Late tonight into Friday morning. The former, ongoing period will
be the stronger of the two with Sierra crest gusts of 80-120 mph,
broadly. Winds will wane somewhat in the afternoon as impeding
upper level flow diminishes a bit and pressure gradients slacken
under a weaker cold air regime. While not as strong, afternoon
winds in the high Sierra will remain elevated and impactful,
regardless. Gusty winds of 30-40 mph will also develop in the
afternoon for lower elevation Sierra valleys amid better mixing. A
final boost in winds late tonight into Friday morning will
accompany strengthening east-northeasterlies aloft and 700 mb cold
air advection. Winds will taper off in earnest Friday afternoon
into Saturday morning as the upper flow weakens in response to a
filling upper cyclone to our south and east.
Be sure to stay away from forested areas during this wind episode as
downed trees are possible. Prepare for difficult travel, potential
power outages, bumpy flights, and choppy lake waters on Lake Tahoe
(see High Wind Warning/Lake Wind Advisory for more details).
Strong and sustained gusty northwest winds 25-35 mph will also
occur down the Chalfant Valley as thermal gradients increase into
the lower deserts.
The only other notable item will be a slight chance (10-20%) of
light snow showers Friday and Saturday across Mono County. Latest
guidance suggest that a minimal increase in moisture and upslope
flow may be enough to squeeze out some light snow, though
accumulation (if any at all) will be spotty and under an inch or
two. For the weekend into early next week, amplified upper ridging
will propagate over the western CONUS and promote an extended
period of dry weather and above average temperatures. In fact,
there is a 25% chance that Reno-Tahoe Airport records its first
70F high temperature of 2024 on Tuesday! Light winds and
subsidence beneath the ridge will likely yield urban valley haze
each morning Sunday into early next week. In the long term,
ensembles continue to advertise a return of unsettled weather for
the final 8-10 days of March.
-Salas
&&
.AVIATION...
While VFR conditions will prevail across all regional terminals, the
primary concern will be the presence of LLWS and mountain wave
turbulence from the Sierra crest westward as FL100 winds reach up to
40-55 kts, especially for Tahoe Basin terminals. Gusty surface winds
of 25-35 kts are expected this afternoon, which will preclude a
greater LLWS impact. That is until tonight (after 03z) when surface
winds weaken beneath strong FL100 winds.
There is a slight chance (10-20%) of light snow at KMMH/KBAN/K024
(Lee Vining) tonight into Friday morning, which may reduce CIGS/VIS
near MVFR thresholds. However, of greater concern will be mountain
obscuration as BKN-OVC030-040 develops along the eastern Sierra
slopes.
-Salas
&&
.REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NV...High Wind Warning until 5 PM PDT this afternoon NVZ002.
Lake Wind Advisory from 5 PM this afternoon to 5 PM PDT Friday
NVZ002.
CA...High Wind Warning until 5 PM PDT this afternoon CAZ071>073.
Lake Wind Advisory from 5 PM this afternoon to 5 PM PDT Friday
CAZ072.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Mesonet station (MTH01-MAMMOTH) located 0.9 mi S of Mammoth Mountain, CA and mesonet station (UNDC1-Lundy) located 4.0 mi NNE of Tioga Pass reported peak wind gusts of 144 mph, and 61 mph respectively.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in California, March 2024
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: 1184947.