A trough pattern moved into the area on the 18th. This lead to an increase in thunderstorm activity, with isolated storms mainly near the Sierra and into northeast CA.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 trough pattern moved into the area on the 18th. This lead to an increase in thunderstorm activity, with isolated storms mainly near the Sierra and into northeast CA. The strongest storms produced a peak gust around 60 mph near Meyers, along with reports of hail up to 0.75 inches in diameter.
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 Jun 18, 1:01 PM PST, 5 hours 39 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Reno NV
201 PM PDT Thu Jun 18 2026
.KEY MESSAGES...
* Summer-like heat will maintain widespread moderate to areas of
major HeatRisk today. Widespread minor with isolated moderate
HeatRisk tomorrow will reflect the cooler, more seasonal
temperatures arriving for the weekend.
* Thunderstorm activity increasing today and peaking Friday. This
will bring impacts to fire, recreation, travel and aviation on
both days.
* A warming trend resumes for next week, with a return of typical
afternoon breezes.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Clouds leftover from last night's showers and storms demonstrate the
existing moisture in mid and upper levels of the atmosphere as the
surge of subtropical influence and the upper trough move into the
region. Various model guidance shows CAPE fields blossoming
across the Sierra and gradually spilling over into the Sierra
Front. CAPE fields will start over the terrain, with added
orographic influence boasting values ranging 2000-3000 J/kg
depending on the guidance and timing. Some solutions represent
values spilling to the Sierra Front in the later portion of the
afternoon, and remaining into the overnight hours. This suggests
elevated instability support for overnight showers and storms to
linger into Friday morning. Today's chances (15-35%) focus on the
Sierra for storm initiation with the same potential for
lightning. Upper level winds are expected to sweep storms to the
north once they grow to an appropriate height to realize the upper
jet steering winds. Hazards for today include possible brief
heavy rain under storm cores, gusty and erratic outflow winds up
to 50-60 mph, frequent lightning and potential for small hail
accumulations with stronger storms capable of producing isolated
instances of up to 1 inch hail. For outdoor recreation or work,
have multiple sources for receiving weather warnings, pay
attention to the skies and have plans in place for sheltering
should a storm develop overhead or nearby.
The trough advances on Friday, bringing another round of similar
parameters of CAPE with a slight increase in atmospheric moisture
content. If the overnight convection holds into Friday morning, we
could start the day with storms over far northwestern Nevada and
northeastern California. Another solution keeps the clouds from
the overnight convection, that may act as a capping mechanism for
instability into Friday morning. Whichever solution, expect cloudy
morning skies once again, with a ~5% chance for ongoing showers
to linger. As the afternoon heating develops, guidance suggests
the cloud field will lift to the northeast, as showers and storms
once again initiate along the Sierra. Similar storm motions will
steer the storms to the north-northeast, which will introduce the
threat to the Basin and Range into the late afternoon. So, similar
weather parameters will produce similar hazards on Friday, but
these will have more widespread coverage than today's showers and
storms. Shower chances also increase and move slightly
northeastward, with a focus on Lassen, Modoc and northern Washoe
counties where chances range 40-60%, and an area that includes
Reno-Carson City-Minden to the Smith and Mason valleys and out to
Fallon and Lovelock, where chances will range 30-80%.
Additionally, the potential exists for blowing dust over dry lake
beds and desert sinks, such as the Carson Sink or Black Rock
Playa, will emerge as strong gusty outflows blow northeast across
the Basin and Range.
Both days present critical fire weather danger, today more so for
a lightning threat, Friday for the widespread lightning threat as
well as areas of low relative humidity and gusty winds across
Mineral County. See the Red Flag Warnings as well as the Fire
Weather section of this discussion.
Behind the trough, we will take temperatures back toward seasonal
readings, with upper 80s to near 90 across western Nevada valleys
and Sierra valleys with upper 70s to low 80s. We also return to
typical summer afternoon breezes. The ridging pattern resumes
heating next week, sending temperatures back to the upper 90s to
near 100 across western Nevada and upper 80s to near 90 for Sierra
valleys. HRICH
&&
.AVIATION...
* Density altitude concerns continue today at terminals in NE CA and
W NV due to afternoon heating.
* Showers and storms developing within the region starting around 21-22Z
today. The Sierra and Sierra Front have around a 15-35% chance
for precipitation today. Storms may contain increased gusty
outflow winds up to 55 kts, brief periods of heavy rain and
frequent lightning. Terrain obscuration, LLWS and turbulence may
also be present near storm cores. MVFR conditions are possible
at most TAF sites should a storm develop or pass nearby. Another
round of showers and storms is forecast for Friday with
increased chances and coverage which expect to bring similar
aviation concerns. 078/HRICH
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Fire weather concerns today and Friday with thunderstorm potential
across the region. Antecedent hot and dry conditions with poor
overnight recoveries have helped in drying fuels further which also
increases fire danger.
Storms will move quickly toward the north-northeast once developed,
with a mix of wet and dry storm modes. This increases potential for
dry lightning strikes outside of wet storm cores as well as dry
storms that produce more lightning than moisture. Gusty, erratic
outflows of 50-60 mph are possible, increasing the threat of rapid
wind direction shifts.
An area over Mineral County (US-95 and east) will have a lesser
threat of storms, but will retain the Red Flag Warning due to RH
around 10-15% and the potential for gusts from gusty outflow winds
that could reach up to 60 mph.
A Red Flag Warning is in effect today across the Sierra Front from 1
pm to 10 pm.
A Red Flag Warning is issued for Friday, see details in the
Red Flag Warning product.
078/HRICH
&&
.REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NV...Red Flag Warning from 8 AM to 11 PM PDT Friday NVZ458.
Red Flag Warning until 10 PM PDT this evening NVZ420-421.
Red Flag Warning from noon to 9 PM PDT Friday NVZ420-421.
Red Flag Warning from noon to 11 PM PDT Friday NVZ423-429.
Heat Advisory until 5 AM PDT Friday NVZ004.
CA...Red Flag Warning from 8 AM to 11 PM PDT Friday CAZ270-278.
&&Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Reno NV
727 PM PDT Thu Jun 18 2026
NVZ002-003-190315-
Greater Lake Tahoe Area NV-Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area NV-
727 PM PDT Thu Jun 18 2026
...GUSTY SHOWERS WILL IMPACT STOREY AND SOUTHERN WASHOE COUNTIES
THROUGH 815 PM PDT...
At 727 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking gusty showers over Reno.
These showers were nearly stationary.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Reno, Sparks, Stead, Northwest Reno, Lemmon Valley, Lemmon
Valley-Golden Valley, Golden Valley, Mogul, Verdi-Mogul, Caughlin
Ranch, Reno-Tahoe International Airport, Hidden Valley, Somersett,
Nws Reno, Stead Airport, and Sun Valley.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3941 11984 3954 12000 3972 11985 3954 11962
TIME...MOT...LOC 0227Z 221DEG 3KT 3953 11984
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
CJThe Reno radar (KRGX), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:40 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Mesonet station LIB11 Meyers3400-Uplands measured a thunderstorm wind gust of 61 mph. Also, ASOS station KTVL measured a wind gust of 51 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in California, June 2026
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: 1339993.