Carson City area weather: Midweek winter storm to pack a punch
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Mon, 01/02/2023 - 4:57pm
Winter storms lined up this week will bring more snow to Carson City, the lower valleys and Sierra, with the second midweek storm being the largest thus far, according to the National Weather Service.
Through Tuesday, a quick-moving storm will bring snow levels down to all valley floors. Snowfall amounts will be light, generally 5 to 10 inches along the Sierra crest, 2 to 5 inches in the Tahoe Basin and up to 2 inches elsewhere.
The weather service advises motorists to prepare for slick roads.
The second and stronger storm will arrive Wednesday into Thursday. Winds across ridges will increase Wednesday afternoon and peak overnight with gusts approaching 100 mph. Winds down on the valley floors do not look overly strong but typical wind prone areas along Highway 395 and Highway 95 near Walker Lake could experience gusts above 40 mph.
Rain and snow return to the region Wednesday afternoon and evening with an abundant moisture tap, but less favorable orientation than the storm we just had. This keeps the heavier precipitation near the Sierra crest, with periods of lighter precipitation for the eastern Sierra and western Nevada.
A cold frontal passage late Wednesday night into Thursday morning will spread rain and snow eastward across the region, according to the weather service.
Snow levels will be tricky with this storm and there may be a period Wednesday afternoon and evening when they rise to 6,500-7,000 feet in the Sierra, but stay near 4000-4500 feet in western Nevada. This is a situation where it rains around Lake Tahoe while seeing snow or a rain/snow mix in western Nevada valleys.
The aforementioned cold front will drop snow levels Wednesday night in the Sierra, but help lift snow levels into the 4,500-5,000 foot range by mid-morning Thursday for western Nevada, according to the weather service.
Total snow projections for this storm range from 2 to 3 feet along the Sierra crest and 6 to 12 inches for the Tahoe Basin and foothills of the eastern Sierra to several inches on valley floors, mainly near and west of US-95.
Motorists having travel plans through the Sierra should prepare for winter weather driving conditions ahead of time and try to avoid the worst conditions. There will likely be periods of snow and icy roads even on the valley floors at times this week and possible next week as well as additional storms arrive.
See NVroads.com for the latest travel conditions. Check back for updates.
