Another round of mountain snow and wind impacts developed across the Sierra |and western NV as another upper short wave trough, and attendant cold front, |lifted across northern CA late morning on November 13th. This next pre-winter storm system spread light to moderate showers across the region with much of the heavier precipitation staying west of Hwy-395 in Lassen 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.
Another round of mountain snow and wind impacts developed across the Sierra |and western NV as another upper short wave trough, and attendant cold front, |lifted across northern CA late morning on November 13th. This next pre-winter storm system spread light to moderate showers across the region with much of the heavier precipitation staying west of Hwy-395 in Lassen County. Then shower chances increased to the south-southeast into the Lake Tahoe Basin by mid afternoon. This storm system also brought another period of gusty southwest winds to the region as well. Impacts included travel for high profile vehicles on area roadways, increased turbulence for local aviation interests, and elevated fire weather concerns across portions of far western NV.
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 13, 2:25 PM PST, 20 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Reno NV
225 PM PST Wed Nov 13 2024
.SYNOPSIS...
* Strong and gusty southwest winds continues through early evening
with impacts to fire weather, aviation, travel, and recreation.
Snow showers may bring slick conditions to Tahoe area passes late
afternoon into early evening.
* A brief lull on Thursday will be followed by another storm system
Thursday night-Friday which could provide additional snow impacts
in the Sierra with light snow showers to W.Nevada valley floors.
* The active weather pattern continues into early next with another
chance of light Sierra snow showers and below average temperatures.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
A Wind Advisory continues through this evening with strong and gusty
winds materializing across portions of the Sierra and western Nevada.
Wind gusts this afternoon have generally been in the 40-50 mph range
with peak gusts near 60 mph in wind prone areas near Washoe Valley.
Crosswind hazards and aviation turbulence are likely along with
areas of blowing dust. A Red Flag Warning remains in place along the
Sierra Front due to the magnitude of the winds and marginally dry
conditions.
While precipitation will follow the winds later this afternoon,
anticipated snowfall amounts will be light by Sierra standards but
still enough to present some travel impacts or slow downs this
evening. The initial band of rain and snow showers is currently
working its way into western Lassen county with mountain snow
showers possible across Tahoe Basin passes possible by 3-4pm. The
greatest likelihood to see 1-4 inches of snowfall accumulations
along Sierra crest passes will be between 4-10pm this evening as
snow levels dip to around 6000-6500 feet. Elevations at lake level
will likely see a rain-snow mix with limited potential for
accumulations (<10% for up to 1 inch).
A brief lull in the weather will be in place on Thursday before a
reinforcing trough swings through Thursday night into Friday. Colder
air behind this system will drop snow levels near 4500 feet which
could yield light snow showers to western Nevada communities through
Friday morning. While valley floors may see snow showers, any
accumulations may be limited to trace amounts. Foothill areas above
5000 feet could see 10-20% chances of seeing up to 1 inch of
snowfall. There could be a higher potential for Sierra travel impacts
Thursday night into Friday morning as lower snow levels could yield
4-8 inches on Sierra passes with about a 20% chance of up to a foot
of snowfall.
Snow showers will taper off through Friday evening with overall
colder temperatures in the wake of the departing low trough on
Saturday. Highs will dip 10-15 degrees below season averages with
highs expected to remain in the upper 30s for Sierra communities and
low 40s for Sierra valleys.
An additional storm system looks to move across the Pacific
Northwest on Monday but the latest guidance has been keeping the
bulk of the moisture farther north of the area. Confidence is lower
end for the amount of precipitation but overall it is trending
towards light showers with a reinforcing wave cooler temperatures.
Fuentes
&&
.AVIATION...
* An incoming storm will bring strong and gusty southwest winds this
afternoon into early evening. Strongest period of winds are
expected through 03z today with surface gusts of 35-45kts within
that timeframe across Tahoe terminals (KTRK,KTVL) and Sierra Front
terminals (KRNO,KCXP,KMEV). KMMH could see gusts near 35kts this
afternoon with winds diminishing this evening after around 05z.
* Expect areas of mountain wave turbulence as well as low level wind
shear through this evening as Sierra ridgetop gusts (FL100)
increase to near 90kt+ from 22-06z.
* A period of valley rain and mountain snow showers will be possible
after about 22z across the Tahoe terminals as snow levels hover
just above field elevations for KTVL and KTRK with a 30-50% chance
of rain and snow mix. MVFR/IFR conditions will be possible through
early evening with a trace to less than 0.5 inches of snow
accumulating on runway areas.
* Expect mountain top obscurations with valley rain showers for
western Nevada terminals through early evening. Fuentes
&&
.REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NV...Wind Advisory until 4 PM PST this afternoon NVZ002-005.
Red Flag Warning until 7 PM PST this evening below 6500 feet for
NVZ420-421.
Winter Weather Advisory until 11 PM PST this evening NVZ002.
Wind Advisory until 7 PM PST this evening NVZ003.
Lake Wind Advisory until 7 PM PST this evening NVZ004.
CA...Wind Advisory until 4 PM PST this afternoon CAZ070>072.
Winter Weather Advisory until 11 PM PST this evening CAZ071-072.
Wind Advisory until 7 PM PST this evening CAZ073.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Mesonet station (RGX-Virginia Peak) located 8.0 mi SW of Nixon, NV reported a peak wind gust of 77 mph.
Mesonet station WLKNV (NV-DOT) located 6.0 mi NW of Hawthorne, NV, reported a peak wind gust of 74 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, November 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: 1223440, 1223442.