Carson City area weather: Saturday to bring gusty winds, valley rain and Sierra snow
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Thu, 05/02/2024 - 5:55pm
The unpredictability of spring this first weekend of May continues with the threat of snow showers in the Sierra on Saturday, along with gusty winds and rain down to the valley floors for Carson City and surrounding areas. The storm system should moved out by Sunday morning.
The National Weather Service in Reno has issued a Winter Weather Advisory from 11 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday morning for the Lake Tahoe Basin, including Stateline, South Lake Tahoe, Incline Village and Tahoe City. The advisory also extends to Truckee to the north and Mammoth Lakes to the south.
The forecast calls for anywhere from 3 to 6 inches over higher Sierra passes, and up to 6 inches to a foot of snow across the Sierra Crest above 7,000 feet, plus winds with gusts as high as 55 mph in the mountains and gusts to 90 along the Sierra ridgetops.
Motorists headed up into the Sierra can expect slick road conditions and the potential for difficult travel conditions, according to forecasters. See NVroads.com for the latest travel information.
Down in the valleys, the National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Watch from Saturday morning through Saturday evening for Carson City, Carson Valley, Lyon, Washoe and Storey counties. The weather service advises southwest winds will be anywhere from 25 mph to 35 mph with gusts anywhere from 50 mph to 60 mph. Forecasters also advise possible power outages are possible if winds really kick up.
According to the latest NWS area forecast discussion, there is a 40 to 60 percent probability for damaging winds from south of I-80 into Douglas, Lyon, Mineral and Mono counties. Blowing dust could be lofted by high winds near dry lake beds, creating reductions in visibility.
Winds will be followed closely by mountain snow showers and valley rains, although the Saturday night into Sunday timeframe will see snow levels crashing to 5,000 to 5,500 feet, forecasters said.
The best chances for snow accumulations will be above 7000 feet, during the overnight Saturday into Sunday hours. Higher end scenarios are indicating messy Sierra passes are possible before daybreak, with 8-10 inches possible along Donner Pass.
Forecasters note that the spring sun angle will work to compete with snow accumulations first thing Sunday morning, so accumulations on roadways should be short-lived.
Carson City, Carson Valley, Dayton area
Friday will bring sunny skies and warm spring temperatures, with a high around 70. For Saturday, rain showers are likely, with highs near 60 and overnight lows near 30, which may give way to a chance of light snow, though little or no accumulation expected.
Forecasters note a chance of a hard freeze in colder valleys overnight Saturday into Sunday. Those with gardens and sprinkler systems should take note.
All told, most of the region will have at least a decent chance for wetting rains, with a 50-60 percent chance for at least 0.5 of an inch of liquid precipitation across the Tahoe Basin, forecasters said.
