Carson City Weather: Gusty winds Friday and Saturday with weekend highs in the 70s
Unusually strong winds are expected this Friday and Saturday, increasing the risk of wind driven fires for western Nevada and the Carson City region, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.
Winds should arrive Friday morning, 15 to 25 mph and last through Saturday evening, with gusts up to 40 mph Friday and up to 50 mph Saturday. Along with 9 to 15 percent humidity, the anticipated conditions have prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Fire Weather Watch with the likelihood of a Red Flag Warning.
The affected areas include the Western Nevada Sierra Front and west central Nevada Basin and Range.
The combination of gusty winds and low humidity can cause rapid fire to grow in size and intensity before first responders can contain them. The weather service advises people to avoid any activities that could start a new fire. By Sunday temperatures will be much cooler with highs running about 10 degrees below normal.
Friday's high temperatures will be in the low 80s for Carson City, Carson Valley and Dayton areas, and then cooling down, with Saturday's high in the upper 70s and Sunday's high in the mid 70s.