Carson City area weather: Sierra snow, valley rain overnight with clearing Halloween evening
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Wed, 10/30/2024 - 1:43pm
A wintry weather system will bring mountain snow and valley rain Wednesday night into Thursday morning but should clear out in time for Halloween trick or treating in the lower valleys. A second system is expected to bring more mountain snow and valley rain or valley snow chances Friday and Saturday, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from 11 p.m. Wednesday night through 2 p.m. Thursday for Lake Tahoe and Sierra, with snow above 7,000 feet, according to the weather service.
NWS forecasters say snow accumulation up to 4 inches is possible with winds gusting as high as 90 mph across the Sierra crest and up to 30 mph in Sierra valleys. They note the upper fringes of Washoe County will get the first taste of this storm system late Wednesday night with snow reaching Donner Pass and west I-80 around midnight. Snow accumulations may reach as high as 5 inches for mountain passes.
The system, as of early Wednesday morning, seems quick and more contained and may not be much spillover into the valleys into Thursday Halloween evening. Conditions will clear by the afternoon, forecasters note, though it will be cold Thursday with daytime highs around Carson City, Carson Valley and Dayton in the low 50s and night time lows in the upper 20s.
Look for updates from the National Weather Service page here for updates.
Snow levels will be around 5,500 feet, resulting in valley rain Thursday morning. Roads, especially along mountain passes, will be slick during your morning commute. The system will also bring gusty winds to the Tahoe area and Mono County. The Tahoe area will see gusts exceeding 50 mph when the system moves through while peaks in Mono County will see gusts of over 70 mph until around noon.
Second system
Friday evening, the next storm system moves into the area. This system will be colder and wetter, resulting in more snow. However, just how much is uncertain, forecasters said. Areas of the Sierra could see anywhere from 6 inches to 2 feet, NWS forecasters said.
Weather models are currently showing some spillover Saturday with snow levels falling to near valley floors. Expect valley rain unless those snow levels drop enough. Virginia City may also see some snow with this system with a 30 percent chance of greater than 1 inch of snow, according to NWS forecasters.
While there is uncertainty in the extent of the snow, we are expecting widespread impacts to travel Friday night and through Saturday. It's possible that this storm will bring the beginning of widespread chain restrictions in higher passes. Please heed all travel restrictions.
See NVroads.com for travel updates.
