Carson City area weather: Sunny weekend ahead; wind and snow showers possible late Sunday
The weekend is shaping up to be seasonably warm and sunny around Carson City, western Nevada and in the Sierra, with the possibility of gusty winds, rain and snow showers returning late Sunday into early Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
The warm up continues Friday into Saturday and part of Sunday, with daytime highs in the upper 60s to low 70s for valley areas, and nighttime lows in the low to mid 30s, according to the weather service. The window makes it a good time to take in the fall colors at Lake Tahoe and Sierra or to get to those outside projects before wet weather returns.
The weather pattern will begin to change later on Sunday when gusty from the southwest winds materialize across the Sierra and western Nevada, forecasters say.
Widespread gusts of 35-45 mph are expected with stronger gusts above 50 mph through wind prone areas of Highway 395 and I-580 from northeast California, western Nevada, and into the eastern Sierra. Gusts of 80-90 mph are possible across Sierra ridgetops, forecasters say.
Rain and snow showers will also accompany this system with snow levels dropping to 5,000 to 6,000 feet by Sunday night into Monday morning.
A trace to a couple inches of snowfall is possible along higher Sierra passes including Donner Summit, Echo Summit, Carson Pass, Mt Rose, Ebbetts Pass, and Sonora Pass. A light rain/snow mix will also be possible across western Nevada valleys by early Monday morning with snow levels dipping near 5,000 to 5,500 feet, according to the weather service.