Carson City area storm update: Gusty winds, valley rain and Sierra snow ahead
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Wed, 01/31/2024 - 11:58am
Gusty winds have picked up around Carson City and surrounding counties Wednesday morning as a winter storm is expected to bring valley rain and Sierra snow through Friday. A larger and wetter system is expected Sunday and Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
Snow in the Sierra is expected to start Wednesday afternoon and evening, with the strongest portion of the storm arriving Wednesday night through Thursday morning. Travel conditions will begin to worsen late Wednesday afternoon and evening, with the most widespread winter travel impacts likely from Wednesday evening through much of Thursday, forecasters said.
At this time, there are no watches or warnings posted for the lower valley areas surrounding Carson City. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for the Lake Tahoe area and Sierra from 10 a.m. Wednesday to 10 a.m. Friday. See NVroads.com or call 511 for the latest road conditions.
Winds will be on the increase this afternoon as gusty south winds produce cross-wind hazards, aviation turbulence, and recreation hazards. Wind gusts through Sierra and western Nevada valleys will generally reach into the 35-45 mph range while localized channeling through aligned terrain and roadways could see a 30 to 40 percent chance of seeing 50+ mph gusts including: US-395, I-580 through Washoe and Carson Valleys and also along US-95 near Walker Lake and Hawthorne.
Winds in Mono County could see 40-60 percent chances of exceeding 60 mph in wind prone areas. Cross wind hazards along I-80 could be elevated for high profile vehicles due the southerly wind orientation
Rain/Snow:
The main band of moisture will begin tracking up the west slopes of the Sierra this evening before the peak snow and rain rates arrive after about midnight through Thursday morning. After that, snow showers will taper down in intensity but will linger through the weekend, forecasters said.
This storm is coming in rather shadowed due to the southerly moisture trajectory across the Sierra. This combined with snow levels in the 5500-6500 range from NE CA through the Sierra will aid in confining impacts mainly to upper passes along the crest. Snow totals will be around 12-18" along the crest in the Lake Tahoe Basin with around 6-12 for the western basin mainly west of Highway 89. Much less potential for lake level communities due to fluttering snow levels with 2-6 inches possible.
Across the crest in Mono County, look for 1-2 feet along the crest with 12-18 inches for areas west of US-395 above 7500 feet including June Lake and Mammoth Lakes.
Meanwhile, a larger storm looms Sunday into Monday, according to the weather service in its latest forecast discussion. Check back for updates.
