Carson City area weather: Arriving storm to bring heavy snow to Sierra, valley snow showers
Another winter storm will make its way to the Sierra, Carson City and surrounding counties late Monday into Tuesday bringing strong mountain winds, heavy Sierra snowfall and valley rain and snow showers, according to the National Weather Service.
The late winter storm will impact the region through Wednesday, with the best chances for heavy Sierra snowfall from Tuesday morning through late Tuesday evening and valley rain and snow showers throughout the day Tuesday, according to the weather service.
A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for the greater Lake Tahoe area from 5 a.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday. Forecasters say snow accumulations of 8 to 16 are possible at lake level and 16 to 26 inches above 7,000 feet west of Highway 89. Winds gusting as high as 45 mph with Sierra ridge gusts in excess of 80 mph.
The weather service advises motorists to consider completing any travel to or from the Sierra communities by Monday evening, or wait until Thursday when drier conditions return.
Gusty south to southwest winds will precede and accompany the main cold front on Tuesday. Widespread wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph in valley locations with a few gusts above 50 mph in wind prone areas will likely bring difficulties for high profile vehicles, aviation and boating activities.
For lower elevations of western Nevada and northeast California, a cold rain or a rain-snow mix is expected to occur along a cold front passage during the day Tuesday. As colder air spreads in, snow levels will drop to near 4,000 to 4,500 feet with a short changeover to all snow possible before ending, according to the weather service.
Accumulations will generally be 2 inches or less, but higher amounts are possible in the foothills. The late March sun angle will limit accumulations on most road surfaces in lower elevations.
For Tuesday night, a band of snow or a rain-snow mix could produce accumulating snowfall and slick travel conditions across I-80 in northern Pershing County, and US-50 well east of Fallon to New Pass Summit. Elsewhere in western Nevada, roads that start out wet Tuesday evening could develop icy patches overnight especially on bridges or overpasses as temperatures drop below freezing.
There will be a brief break in the snowfall for the Sierra on Wednesday morning. However, snow showers are expected to develop late in the morning through the afternoon with additional accumulation expected.
National Weather Service forecasters urge drivers to prepare for travel impacts to persist, especially on approaches to Donner Pass and Echo Summit. Snow showers will be most intense near these passes and on the west slopes. Winds will be much lighter for Wednesday.
For the latest road conditions, see NVroads.com or call 511. Go here for the latest forecast discussion on the upcoming storm from National Weather Service forecasters.