A major winter storm will move into the region beginning late Sunday bringing valley rain and heavy Sierra snow. Elevations are expected to lower enough to bring snow to the valley floors around Carson City and surrounding counties by Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.
A Winter Storm Warning is effect for Lake Tahoe and Sierra from 10 p.m. Sunday to 10 p.m. Wednesday, with snow amounts that could range anywhere from 3 to 5 feet along the Sierra crest and 1 to 3 feet in Sierra valley including Lake Tahoe, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.
For the Sierra, the heaviest snow is expected Monday morning through evening, followed by a colder second wave Tuesday afternoon and evening. Strong winds Tuesday may cause near-zero visibility and whiteout conditions in the Sierra at times, according to NWS forecasters.
2-6 inches of valley snow possible, 6-12 inches in foothills
Snow impacts could reach western Nevada foothills as soon as Monday, with snow most likely down to valley floors Tuesday afternoon and evening, forecasters said.
For the western Nevada valleys around Carson City, gusty winds of 35-45 mph on Tuesday morning may momentarily raise snow levels above valley floors, although colder air will also filter in by this time bringing more chances for valley snow, forecasters said.
“The arrival of heavier snow bands by late morning and midday leads to higher confidence for snow and travel impacts during the Tuesday evening commute with lingering impacts into Wednesday. West central Nevada will also have its best potential for snow and slick travel conditions late Tuesday and Tuesday night,” according to the weather service.
Early projections of snowfall for the main urban areas around Carson City, Reno and Sparks are 2 to 6 inches, with up to 2 inches farther east to the US-95 corridor, while foothill sites could end up with 6 to 12 inches. If convective snow bands factor into this event, snow totals in localized sites could increase by several inches, forecasters said.
Cold weather and lingering snow impacts continue through much of this week, forecasters said. For the latest travel information call 5-1-1 or go to NVroads.com.
Check back for updates.
