Carson City area weather: Hot days with wildfire smoke, chance of thunderstorms this week
Hot temperatures will continue over the next several days throughout western Nevada and the Carson City region with daily records possible, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.
Widespread moderate to high heat impacts are likely. The weather service advises people to take necessary precautions to limit effects for heat sensitive folks and pets. Highs in the lower valleys will be in the upper 90s with some areas over the century mark.
Forecasters advise to to stay hydrated, avoid strenuous outdoor activities and check in on vulnerable neighbors, family or friends. Keep an eye on the forecast and consider rescheduling outdoor activities to cooler parts of the day, if possible.
Smoke lofted by the Oak Fire in Mariposa County, Calif., will continue to creep across the Sierra Front and into western Nevada as afternoon southwest winds kick in and transport smoke particulates across the crest. Expect continued smoke impacts and degraded air quality particularly overnight and into the early morning hours as smoke settles into the valleys.
Areas across the Tahoe Basin, Carson Valley, and eastern Sierra could see these cycles of degraded air quality with improvement by the afternoon as valley inversions break, followed by additional smoke late afternoon and evening. The duration of the smoke impacts will be dependent on the intensity and activity of the fire through the week.
For the latest air quality information please visit: www.airnow.gov and www.fire.airnow.gov
Meanwhile, hot conditions will combine with incoming moisture to bring a return of afternoon thunderstorms this week, according to the weather service.
Storms will primarily be confined to southern Mono and Mineral counties Monday afternoon, but storm potential will spread northward through the week. Forecasters urge people to keep an eye out for lightning and gusty/erratic outflow winds with storms.
Lightning-caused fires will be a concern through the week with increasing storm coverage. Storms will gradually become wetter in nature later this week with the potential for heavy rains and flooding concerns for steep terrain or burn areas, forecasters said.