Carson City weather: Slight chance of showers overnight, storms lining up after Christmas
While there's a slight chance of light showers overnight, mostly dry conditions should continue Christmas Day into Tuesday around Carson City and surrounding counties, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.
Meanwhile, a more active pattern will begin moving in Wednesday onward, bringing the potential for several rounds of rain and mountain snow into the New Year, forecasters said.
For Sunday evening, valley rain showers are possible, around a 15 percent chance, into early Christmas morning, with the potential for snow showers, around 20 to 30 percent, above 6,000 feet, NWS forecasters note in their Sunday afternoon weather discussion.
Snow levels will be around or just slightly above valley floors during the expected duration of a band. Any snow that does accumulate will be light, from a dusting up to a couple tenths of an inch. Any roads that receive accumulating precipitation may become slick through Christmas morning.See NVroads.com for the latest travel conditions.
Showers exit the region early Christmas morning, yielding dry and mild conditions by time the presents are opened. Another weak wave brushes to the north overnight Monday night, though greatest chances (20 to 30 percent) will remain confined to extreme northern Washoe County and the Surprise Valley. Forecasters say to expect another day of above average temperatures and dry conditions on Tuesday before the pattern begins to shift Wednesday.
An extension of the Pacific jet will prompt a train of low pressure systems into the region. The first storm arrives Wednesday afternoon; this storm will be wetter but fast moving, expected to be out of our area by early Thursday morning, NWS forecasters said.
Snow levels will hover around 6,000 to 6,500 feet, with a 70 percent chance for 1 inch and a 20 to 30 percent chance for 4 inches of snowfall along Sierra passes. Liquid totals around 0.6 to 0.75 of an inch are expected for the Sierra from the Lake Tahoe Basin northward, with totals dropping off dramatically into the Eastern Sierra and Sierra front as spillover looks minimal.
Gusty ridge winds will accompany this system as well, increasing overnight Tuesday through Wednesday. This storm may bring impacts to both air and ground travel, so keep an eye on the forecast if you have any post-holiday travel plans.
The storm door remains open into the New Year, with additional rounds of rain and mountain snow possible, with current projections indicating the next system arriving late Friday into Saturday.