An area of low pressure moved across the Pacific Northwest the afternoon through the night of the 24th, and was mainly a wind maker with a few brief showers developing near the Sierra during the day. The strongest gusts reached the Surprise Valley and northern Washoe County where Wind Advisories were hoisted for those areas.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
An area of low pressure moved across the Pacific Northwest the afternoon through the night of the 24th, and was mainly a wind maker with a few brief showers developing near the Sierra during the day. The strongest gusts reached the Surprise Valley and northern Washoe County where Wind Advisories were hoisted for those areas. This included some strong late night of the 24th with SW-W gusts pushing across the Warner Mountains. Other areas north of US-50 were projected to see wind gusts mainly in the 40-50 mph range with brief 50-60 mph gusts possible in wind prone sites during the afternoon-early evening, with patchy blowing dust downwind of deserts and sinks in northwest-west were less significant with gusts general 35 mph or less.
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 Feb 24, 1:19 AM PST, 7 hours 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Reno NV
119 AM PST Mon Feb 24 2025
.SYNOPSIS...
* Wind gusts will peak late this afternoon and will remain
elevated overnight for NE CA and along the OR border.
* Spring-like temperatures and dry weather will prevail this week.
* A cooler and more unsettled weather pattern returns this
weekend through the first week of March.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
A low approaching the Pacific NW will bring a tightened pressure
gradient today, resulting in light showers and gusty winds. Light
rain showers will predominantly hug the western side of the
Sierra (north of the Tahoe Basin) and the OR border. The strongest
wind gusts will take place late this afternoon but will be
elevated throughout the day, continuing overnight. Ridge winds in
the Tahoe Basin will gust up to 90 mph while wind prone locations
will see gusts up to 50 mph. To go along with this, a Wind
Advisory has been issued for Northern Washoe county and the
Surprise Valley while a Lake Wind Advisory is in effect for both
Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake. Please see the respective products
for more details. Blowing dust will also be possible downwind of
Nevada deserts and sinks, including along I-80 east of Fernley.
For our friends in Mono county, wind gusts won't be nearly as high (up
to 65 mph along ridgetops).
Spring-time temperatures continue through this week with a <10%
chance of showers along the Sierra Thursday afternoon.
Temperatures start to trend downward starting this weekend as
another storm system approaches the coast of California. Expect
gusty winds, valley rain, and mountain snow with this system.
However, confidence remains low on the specific details. Stay
tuned!
-Giralte
&&
.AVIATION...
VFR conditions for all terminals expected today with widespread
LLWS. Mountain wave turbulence will continue to bring choppy
flight conditions. In fact, the Aviation Weather Center has
centered AIRMETs for turbulence and LLWS along the Sierra, NE CA,
and much of Western Nevada through at least 24/23Z.
-Giralte
&&
.REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NV...Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 4 AM PST Tuesday NVZ005.
Lake Wind Advisory from 7 AM this morning to 10 PM PST this
evening NVZ002.
Lake Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 10 PM PST this
evening NVZ004.
CA...Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 4 AM PST Tuesday CAZ070.
Lake Wind Advisory from 7 AM this morning to 10 PM PST this
evening CAZ072.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A mesonet station located Palisades Tahoe Ski Base, CA, and mesonet station (HVRGM) mid station gondola weather station located 1.0 mi ENE of the Heavenly Ski base, CA, reported peak wind gusts of 83 mph, and 71 mph respectively.
Mesonet station (MTH01) chair 1 top located 1.0 mi S of Mammoth Mountain Ski Summit, CA, and mesonet station (XMLC1) Mill Canyon located 4.0 mi SSW of Walker, CA, reported peak wind gusts of 83 mph, and 63 mph respectively.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 2025
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: 1238810, 1238811.