A strong low pressure system slowly moved over Nevada producing heavy snow over the state during a 48 hour period.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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 LKN wrote it up.
A strong low pressure system slowly moved over Nevada producing heavy snow over the state during a 48 hour period.
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 Elko, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 5, 2:47 AM PST, 7 hours 13 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Elko NV 247 AM PST Wed Mar 5 2025 .SYNOPSIS...A Pacific northwest trough is setting its sights on northern and central Nevada today. Precipitation is expected to develop and spread east across northern and central Nevada during the morning hours. Rain showers will change to snow showers on the valley floor this evening. Driving for the Thursday morning commute may be difficult due to hazardous road conditions. Temperatures will remain on the cool side, but will gradually warm into the 40s to low 50s by Saturday. && .SHORT TERM...Today through Thursday night. Clouds are currently streaming across northern and central Nevada this morning. No precipitation is being seen on radar at this time. Upper level ridge axis will shift to the east. Southwest flow will continue out ahead of the next system that will affect northern and central Nevada today. Closed upper low is currently positioned across the Pacific northwest. This system will move to the southeast throughout the day. Precipitation is expected to start later this morning under south to southwest flow aloft. Snow levels will rise during the day to about 6500 feet in central Nevada and around 5500 feet in the north. Highs today will be in the 40s. Winds will be breezy across central Nevada in the afternoon with gusts to 25 mph. By tonight, the upper low is expected to be crossing into northern California. Surface low pressure will develop across central Nevada tonight as well. Models continue to depict moderate frontogenetical forcing moving east through the overnight period as the surface system tracks to the northeast into Utah near Salt Lake City. Winds will begin shifting to the west and northwest later tonight into tomorrow morning. This will help to usher in colder air. Snow levels will start out at 5500 to 6000 feet during the early evening hours tonight, but will drop to the valley floors by tomorrow morning. Models continue to depict the FGEN band being a focus for moderate, to locally heavy, showers tonight. The current suite of headline winter products looks good and no changes were made. Overnight lows will be in the 20s and 30s. The snow will continue into the Thursday timeframe as the main upper low pushes across the forecast area and into Utah by Thursday afternoon. Look for the snow showers to continue during this time with moderate to locally heavy snow showers possible in some of the more distinct bands. Winds will switch to the northwest with speeds of 10 to 20 mph and gusts of 30 to 40 mph. With the wind, blowing and drifting snow could pose problems in northeast and east-central Nevada. Highs will be cold with readings in the 30s to near 40 for Thursday afternoon. Here are some probabilities of high temperatures greater than 40 degrees for select locations across northern and central Nevada for Thursday afternoon: Austin - 0% Battle Mountain - 55% Carlin - 20% Elko - 15% Ely - 5% Eureka - 0% Jackpot - 10% Jarbidge - 0% Owyhee - 10% Ruth - 0% Spring Creek - 2% Tonopah - 10% Wells - 4% West Wendover – 70% Wildhorse Res - 0% Winnemucca - 65% The snow showers will diminish in intensity and areal coverage Thursday night into Friday morning with lows in the teens and 20s. Here are some probabilities of storm total snow amounts exceeding four inches or more over a 48 hour period for select locations across northern and central Nevada for today through Thursday: Austin - 100% Battle Mountain - 0% Carlin - 5% Elko - 25% Ely - 75% Eureka - 100% Jackpot - 70% Jarbidge - 100% Owyhee - 75% Ruth - 98% Spring Creek - 95% Tonopah - 10% Wells - 80% West Wendover – 0% Wildhorse Res - 85% Winnemucca - 0% .LONG TERM...Friday through next Wednesday Some light snow chances linger into Friday afternoon before clearing to start the weekend. Any new accumulation is expected to be a half inch or less and limited to Elko and eastern White Pine counties. Upper level ridging returns late Friday night and temperatures climb through the weekend, beginning in the 30s with some low 40s on Friday and reaching 40s and 50s by Monday. Quiet conditions persist during this time, with light winds and no precipitation expected (PoPs <5%). Our next system approaches on Monday as an upper level trough comes on shore in California and quickly pushes its way into Nevada. Precipitation chances begin as mostly rain on Monday afternoon (PoPs up to 40%) then transition to snow overnight with some valley rain mixing back in on Tuesday (PoPs up to 65%). Precipitation chances decrease overnight (PoPs around 30%) but another trough approaches for Wednesday, pushing precipitation chances over 70% across most of the area and above 50% in the rest. It’s too early to discuss totals for this system, but it does currently appear to be an impactful system. && .AVIATION...VFR conditions early this morning, though CIGs will be lowering ahead of the approaching storm. Winds at the northern NV terminals are expected to remain at or below 10kts today. Across central NV including KTPH and KELY southerly winds increase to 10 to 15 kts gusting to 25kts by around 19Z. A mix of rain and snow develops by the late morning hours. CIGs and VIS lower through the day and evening as showers intensify. This evening the mix of rain and snow transitions to all snow, with MVFR or IFR conditions into the overnight hours. KWMC is AMD NOT SKED due to communication disruption. && .LKN Watches/Warnings/Advisories... Winter Weather Advisory from 4 AM Wednesday to 4 AM PST Friday Humboldt. Winter Weather Advisory from 11 AM Wednesday to 4 AM PST Friday Northern Elko. Winter Storm Warning from 10 AM Wednesday to 4 AM PST Friday Ruby Mountains and East Humboldt Range in Elko. Winter Weather Advisory from 9 AM Wednesday to 4 AM PST Friday Southern Lander and Southern Eureka...White Pine. Winter Weather Advisory from 10 AM Wednesday to 4 AM PST Friday Northern Lander and Northern Eureka...South Central Elko... Southwest Elko. Winter Weather Advisory from 7 AM Wednesday to 4 AM PST Friday Northeastern Nye...Northwestern Nye. && 86/94/96
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Snotel (DRBN2) Dorsey Basin, Elevation 7902 ft. 18 inches.
Snotel (COLN2) Corral Canyon, Elevation 8444 ft. 18 inches.
Snotel (DRKN2) Dry Creek, Elevation 6553 ft. 14 inches.
Snotel (HIMN2) Hole-In-Mountain, Elevation 8161 ft. 13 inches.
Snotel (GRMN2) Green Mountain, Elevation 8184 ft. 19 inches.
Snotel (LCUN2) Lamoille Upper, Elevation 8993 ft. 12 inches.
Snotel (LMLN2) Lamoille #3, Elevation 8050 ft. 16 inches.
Snotel (POLN2) Pole Canyon, Elevation 7759 ft. 12 inches.
Snotel (TMLN2) Tent Mountain Lower, Elevation 7103 ft. 16 inches.
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, March 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: 1230851, 1230853, 1230855, 1230857, 1230858, 1230859, 1230860, 1230861, 1230862.