Wind rips through Carson City region overnight; I-580 through Washoe Valley now open
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Tue, 01/04/2022 - 8:35am
UPDATE 12:33PM: Both the northbound and southbound lanes of I-580 through Washoe Valley are now open, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation.
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Damaging winds blew down trees, caused power outages and closed the main artery between Carson City and Reno overnight, after the first winter storm of 2022 moved into the region, further causing headaches for motorists, long wait lines on alternative roadways and the loss of electricity due to downed or damaged power lines.
Winds that were blowing between 60 mph to 80 mph to near 90 mph whipped through the Washoe Valley overnight, are showing signs of tapering some this morning, A High Wind Warning for the greater Reno, Carson City and Carson Valley expired at 7 a.m.
Still, as of 8 a.m., I-580 between Carson City and Reno through the Washoe Valley remains closed as the Nevada Department of Transportation and Nevada State Police Highway Patrol Division evaluate the condition of the roads.
According to a NDOT tweet and photo of an overturned semi Tuesday morning, I-580 remains closed in Washoe Valley this morning because winds remain high, and overturned vehicles are being removed from roadside. That includes high-profile trucks prohibited from traveling the highway during high winds.
Nevada State Police, Highway Patrol tweeted "for drivers this morning between Reno and Carson City, check your route via http://NVRoads.com or call 511 before you go. Currently IR-580 from Mt. Rose to Eastlake is closed. Take alt route."
Alternative routes to and from Reno include taking US-50 past Dayton to Silver Springs and taking USA Parkway to I-80. If heading to Carson, reverse the route taking I-80 to USA Parkway and then US-50 to Silver Springs and Dayton.
Gov. Steve Sisolak has again called for delayed openings of state offices in Reno and Carson City due to road and weather conditions.
The National Weather Service in Reno noted in its 2:30 a.m. Tuesday weather discussion that Valley winds will decrease today while very strong winds at ridge tops persist. Dry and warmer conditions are expected for midweek, and then a fast moving weather system brings a chance for light rain and snow along with gusty winds before the end of the work week. High pressure will likely return for the weekend.
Go here or see the weather discussion below.
At issuance time of this discussion, portions of I580/US395 and some other roads/highways between Reno-Carson City and in the Sierra remain closed due to high winds and blowing and drifting snow. Please check with NDOT and Caltrans for road closures and conditions before heading out this morning.
Winds in Sierra Valleys, northeast CA, and western NV decrease today yet will remain gusty for many locations, while the strongest winds aloft and surface pressure gradients shift to the eastern Great Basin. However, ridgetop winds will remain very strong through midday Wednesday. All high wind warnings and wind advisories remain in effect through 7 am this morning. Winds across Lake Tahoe and Pyramid remain gusty into this afternoon, strong enough to create wave heights 1 to 4 feet capable of capsizing smaller boats.
Blowing and drifting snow may continue to contribute to hazardous driving conditions for some areas this morning, especially in the Tahoe Basin west of CA-89, northeast CA west of US-395, and locally in the Surprise Valley. Mountain precipitation should taper off by this afternoon.
A secondary jet max of strong winds aloft moves across north CA/NV tonight. This will bring a return of gusty winds in the Surprise Valley and north of Gerlach (gusts 35-45 mph). For exposed mountain ridges in western NV and for Sierra ridges as far south as Mammoth Mountain, this will maintain very strong ridge top winds through Wednesday morning. Expect gusts at Sierra ridges in the 65 to 85 mph range and locally to 100 mph. These winds will also maintain the turbulence currently impacting aviation east of the Sierra crest through Wednesday morning.
Otherwise for Wednesday-Thursday, a flat ridge of high pressure moves across CA-NV bringing lighter valley winds and nudging the storm track to the north, allowing for some warming of afternoon highs up to the mid 40s-lower 50s.
One more fast-moving weather system remains on track to bring another chance of mountain snow and mainly rain for lower elevations late Thursday night into Friday evening, along with another increase in winds. Current projections indicate relatively light snow amounts for the Sierra and northeast CA (but could still produce travel impacts over the main passes), while winds could be strong but won't be anywhere near the speeds observed with the current storm. Then a period of quiet weather is likely for this coming weekend, with temperatures near average, highs mainly in the lower-mid 40s, as a ridge of high pressure rebuilds over the western US.
Check back for updates.
