Another significant winter storm brought periods of heavy Sierra snow accumulations, rain and light snow to valley areas, and gusty winds overnight on the 13th through the 14th. There was the potential for greater snowfall on Sierra Front valley floors on the 13th with higher snow impacts.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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.
Another significant winter storm brought periods of heavy Sierra snow accumulations, rain and light snow to valley areas, and gusty winds overnight on the 13th through the 14th. There was the potential for greater snowfall on Sierra Front valley floors on the 13th with higher snow impacts. Snow showers began to increase in coverage and intensity across the Sierra during the evening of 12th with peak snowfall rates of 2-3/hour forecast for the mid-morning to early afternoon hours on the 13th ahead of an advancing cold front. A few flashes of lightning were also projected on the 13th with best chances (10-15%) in the afternoon and evening. Snow showers lingered through much of the 14th before projected to taper off into the morning of the 15th. Forecast storm total snowfall amounts called for multiple feet along the Sierra crest, around a foot of snow for Tahoe Basin communities (e.g., Truckee, South Lake Tahoe) with up to 2 feet along western Tahoe shores, and 6-12 for foothill areas to include Virginia City by the morning of the 15th. A boom/bust potential increased for valley floors from mid-morning onward on the 13th. The most current hi-res guidance sided with the bust scenario with light snowfall the morning of the 13th with rain by the afternoon.
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 13, 2:37 AM PST, 23 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Reno NV
237 AM PST Thu Feb 13 2025
.SYNOPSIS...
* A significant winter storm will bring periods of heavy Sierra
snow, rain and light snow to valleys, and gusty winds through
Friday.
* There is the potential for greater snowfall on Sierra Front valley
floors today with higher snow impacts possible.
* Drier conditions return on Saturday with a weak storm possible
Sunday into early next week.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Our highly anticipated winter storm is underway as rain and snow are
moving into the Sierra per 10Z radar obs. Snow levels are already
tricky as what was once snow has transitioned to rain at Truckee
Airport while it continues to snow at South Lake Tahoe according to
local webcams. Upstream snow level obs in Colfax, CA indicate that
rain-snow lines are hovering around 7000 ft as of 09Z. While this
likely does not represent snow levels in the Sierra, it does suggest
that continued warm advection in the low-levels will allow a period
of rain or a rain-snow mix for lower elevation Sierra communities
through the late morning. Rain will switch back to snow in the
afternoon in the wake of a cold frontal passage, but the prospect of
AM rain would be a limiting factor of total snowfall for lake level
areas in the Tahoe Basin and below 7000 feet in Mono County. Peak
snowfall rates of 2-3"/hr are expected from 6 AM to 2 PM PST above
the rain-snow line.
We'll transition into the cold side of the storm in the early
afternoon when a very brief lull in the rain and snow is likely, but
shower coverage expands by the late afternoon/early evening along
and ahead of a secondary frontal boundary. Showers evolve into a
more convective mode in which bursts of heavier snow are
interrupted by periods of lighter snow in between snow bands.
While a few rumbles of thunder cannot be ruled out this morning
along the Sierra crest, any lightning will be mostly during
Thursday afternoon and evening amid the more unstable convective
regime. Showers continue through Friday morning, but will taper
off in the late morning and afternoon.
When all is said and done, snowfall totals will most likely look
something like this: Several feet of snow for the High Sierra
(including Mammoth Lakes/Mtn); around a foot for Tahoe Basin
communities (e.g., Truckee, South Lake Tahoe) with up to 2 feet
along western Tahoe shores; 6-12" for foothill areas/Virginia City.
We'll be keeping a very close eye on the potential for a snow event
today for Sierra Front cities (e.g., Reno, Sparks, Carson City,
Minden). Latest surface obs reveal that a shallow layer of dry,
near/sub-freezing air exists at the surface across the Sierra Front,
which becomes a favorable profile for snow once warm, moist air
aloft arrives. Thus, we still have good confidence in a period of
light snow early this morning when a dusting to an inch of snow is
possible on valley floors. Thereafter, we'll either embark on two
possible outcomes for the rest of the day: 1) The "boom" scenario in
which the near/subfreezing layer at the surface is not fully mixed
out or evaporative cooling overcomes downward mixing of warm
air/weak surface heating, either of which would yield steady, wet
snowfall throughout the day or 2) the "bust" scenario in which the
near-surface environment warms above freezing, owing to increased
mixing and surface heating, and switches snow to rain by late
morning.
The most likely outcome continues to be the lower impact "bust"
option as consistently advertised in CAM guidance. However, this can
certainly change very quickly as the morning goes on so it's best to
be prepared if some form of the "boom" option does materialize and
creates travel headaches today across the Sierra Front. Another
period of valley snow is likely tonight into Friday AM, but will
highly depend on where snow showers develop. Farther east, it'll be
a windy day across the Basin and Range, especially across Mineral
and Churchill counties where gusts of 40-45 mph are expected.
As mentioned, the storm will wrap up late Friday with perhaps a few
light snow showers lingering in the Sierra into Saturday AM.
Otherwise, Saturday will be a mostly dry and mild day with a weak
storm possible Sunday into early next week.
-Salas
&&
.AVIATION...
Periods of moderate to heavy rain and snow will reduce CIGS/VIS to
IFR/LIFR conditions through Friday with heaviest snow expected
between 12z and 00z. Rain is most likely at KTRK/TVL until 14-16z
before changing back to snow. There is also the potential for a very
brief lull in the showers this afternoon (between 21-00z) when
CIGS/VIS may improve, but a second wave of heavier snow quickly
follows in the late afternoon. Expect significant runway
accumulation through Friday at Sierra terminals. There is also a
5-15% chance of lightning along the Sierra crest this afternoon.
For RNO/CXP/MEV, light snow will most likely fall early this morning
and foster MVFR/IFR conditions through mid-morning before snow
switches to rain (think more MVFR and mountain obscuration
concerns). However, there is the potential that it stays snowing
throughout the day, in which a more extensive period of IFR
conditions and several inches of runway snow accumulation would be
more likely.
The potential for LLWS and mountain wave turbulence will increase
this morning as FL1000 winds strengthen to 60-80 kts between the 12z-
21z timeframe. Weakening winds aloft will mitigate these concerns
tonight into Friday morning.
-Salas
&&
.AVALANCHE...
Widespread wind and heavy snow across all avalanche center terrain
expected through Friday evening.
* SWE Totals: Still on track for 3-5" for all avalanche centers in a
48 hour period ending Friday evening.
* Snow-Liquid Ratios: Snow liquid ratios across all avalanche
centers start 11-13:1 tonight then decrease closer to 8-11:1
Thursday morning and early afternoon. They increase again to 12-
15:1 by Thursday night/Friday as colder air returns.
* Snow levels: Higher snow levels have arrived earlier than
expected, but will only reach around 6500 feet for areas north of
Sonora Pass, and near 7000 feet from Sonora Pass to Bishop Pass
through the morning. Snow levels will fall below 6000 feet for the
remainder of the storm this afternoon.
* Snowfall totals: There is a likely 80+% chance for 2-4 feet of
snowfall across all avalanche centers in a 48 hour period ending
Friday evening. Peak snowfall rates of 2-3"/hr are also likely for
the duration of the event, although the most persistent snowfall
rates at this intensity will occur between 6 AM and 2 PM PST
today.
* There is a 10-15% chance of lightning this afternoon, favoring the
crests for all avalanche centers.
* Ridge top gusts: Strong SW/W gusts of 70-90 mph along exposed
Sierra ridges through Friday AM, weakening Friday afternoon.
Hohmann/Salas
&&
.REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NV...Winter Storm Warning until 10 PM PST Friday NVZ002.
Wind Advisory until 1 PM PST this afternoon NVZ001-004.
Winter Weather Advisory until 1 PM PST this afternoon NVZ003.
CA...Winter Storm Warning until 10 PM PST Friday CAZ071>073.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 heavy rain, 2 high wind, 1 winter weather, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The Reno Airport Observer measured 3.6 of snowfall before it turned to rain.
CoCORAHS (NV-DG-4 Gardnerville) located 3.0 ESE of Heavenly Valley, NV, reported a 24 hour storm total rainfall amount of 1.59 inches.
A COCORAHS station (NV-CC-14 Carson City) located 3.0 mi NNE of Carson, NV, reported a 24hr rainfall storm total of 2.02 inches.
A trained spotter located 3.0 mi NE of Spanish Springs, NV, reported a 24hr rainfall storm total of 1.06 inches.
A COOP Observer (MNAN2-MINA) located in Mina, NV, reported a 24 hour rainfall total of 0.57 inches.
The public located at the Mount Rose Ski Base, NV, and at the Diamond Peak Ski Base, NV, reported 24 hour storm total snowfall amounts of 40.0 inches and 36 inches respectively. 48 hour storm total snowfall was reported as 48 inches, and 42 inches respectively.
A mesonet station (LKSN2) Stateline Douglas CO located 1.0 mi NNW of Stateline, NV, reported a peak wind gust of 87 mph.
A mesonet station (PVPN2 Mogul), located 5.0 miles SW of Stead, NV, reported a peak wind gust of 69 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, 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: 1239224, 1239005, 1239007, 1239008, 1239011, 1239010, 1239002, 1239004.