Carson City area weather: First of three storm systems arrives bringing gusty winds
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Sun, 03/13/2022 - 8:34am
The first of three storms this week arrived overnight bringing gusty winds to the Carson City area Sunday morning, but without reports of any serious damage. A large pine tree did tumble, however, on the Nevada State Capitol grounds Sunday.
CarsonWeather.com clocked a gust of 45 mph at 7:18 a.m., in Carson City while the National Weather Service in Reno reports gusts as high as 100 mph in the Sierra, including a peak of 116 mph on Slide Mountain. In Washoe Valley, there have been a few gusts in the mid-60 mph range. In Carson Valley there have been gusts in the mid-50 mph and mid-60 mph range.
A Wind Advisory expired at 11 a.m. Sunday for the greater Reno, Carson City and Carson Valley areas. The strongest wind speeds have been along the US-395/I-580 corridor. There are Lake Wind Advisories in effect for Pyramid Lake and Lake Tahoe through 3 p.m.
As of 8:30 a.m. NVroads.com reports vehicles more than 9 feet high are prohibited on Old US-395 from Davis Creek Park to Eastlake Boulevard (South) and on I-580 from Eastlake Boulevard (Exit 10) to Mt Rose Highway (Exit 24.) There was snow this morning over Mt. Rose bringing chains required restrictions, according to NVroads.com.
The following is the latest forecast discussion from the National Weather Service:
System 1
First in a series of storms moving through this morning with strong winds the main story. Wind gusts were exceeding 100 mph on some of the mountaintop sensors with widespread gusts to 50-plus mph along the Highway 395/I-580 corridor between Reno and Mammoth Lakes.
Most of the high resolution model data keep winds going through 15-18Z as the cold front works southward through the region. Winds then shift to more moderate northwest direction behind the front with speeds/gusts backing off from their early morning peaks. Current wind advisories are on track, but we have added a lake wind advisory for Pyramid Lake where lake waters will be quite choppy today. This system lacks moisture but jet/frontal dynamics were combining to squeeze out some light snow in the northern Sierra, mainly Tahoe northward.
Simulations show the forcing shifting out of the area 12-15Z, so snow showers will diminish through the morning. Although snow accumulations will be less than 2 inches even at the higher passes, make sure to double-check the latest road conditions if heading over the northern Sierra passes prior to 9 AM.
System 2
A spring pattern will remain in place this week with mild temperatures and periods of breezy winds/showers as a couple more cold fronts make their way through the region. The next system will approach late Monday and move through the area Monday night, Tuesday. Models continue to show a fast open wave which will limit precipitation potential and the track again avors the northern Sierra and areas north of I-80. The National Blended Model (NBM) shows about 0.75" along and west of the Tahoe crest, 0.35" in the Tahoe Basin/Plumas Co and 0.10" or less elsewhere, including Mono County.
These projections are similar to what we saw in the data 24 hours ago, so there is decent continuity and thus above average confidence in a low end storm. It is warmer, so snow impacts would be confined to the highest passes (above 7,000 feet) in the Tahoe area Tuesday morning.
Breezy winds develop Monday afternoon and continue through Tuesday. Model trends are up from 24 hours previous and show Sierra ridge level flow approaching 50 kts. The forecast was bumped to reflect this trend with ridge gusts 80+ mph and lower elevation winds 15-25 mph with gusts 30-40 mph for the Highway 395/I-580 corridor.
System 3
Generally quiet Wednesday through Friday with mild temperatures and lighter winds under a weak flat ridge. The third in a series of storms is then projected to drop southward into CA-NV next weekend for what could be a better chance for getting some moderate precipitation. The storm is colder and has more moisture associated with it. However, it is on a progressive track that would limit residence time and thus QPF. If you have plans next weekend, be sure to prepare for wind, snow (possible road impacts down to lake level) and much cooler temperatures behind the cold front Sunday. Beyond next weekend, high pressure will bring another quiet and milder period to start the work week (March 21st). Spring officially starts March 20th.
