A winter storm moving into Carson City and surrounding counties has brought strong gusty winds to the region, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a Wind Advisory.

The advisory is through 7 p.m. Tuesday night and is for the Greater Reno, Carson City, Carson Valley area and Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake.

NV Energy reports as of 11:50 a.m. Tuesday of outages east of Dayton on Highway 50 and South of Silver Springs in Lyon County.

Blowing dust may lead to areas of low visibility along Interstate 80, Highway 50, and US-95, primarily east of the Reno and Carson City area, according to the weather service.

West winds 20 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph expected. Wind prone locations along US-395 may see gusts up to 65 mph.

Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

The weather service advises residents to secure loose outdoor items such as patio furniture and trash cans. With power outages possible, people should make sure their mobile phones are charged, flashlights, batteries and have candles at hand.

Meanwhile, an initial round of snow is expected Tuesday, with a short burst of higher snowfall rates and even a rumble of thunder possible along the front. Additional periods of snow showers will follow through Thursday night, favoring the Sierra, NWS forecasters say.

Snow amounts will be highly variable over short distances due to the showery nature. The weather service advises motorists prepared for rapid changes in visibility and road conditions. A third round of snow is looking likely Friday into Saturday for the Sierra and western Nevada, with the main focus in the Eastern Sierra from Markleeville to Mammoth Lakes.

High temperatures Wednesday through Friday will struggle to get out of the 30s in even the warmest valleys, with teens and 20s in the mountains, NWS forecasters said. Overnight lows will dip in the teens and single digits, with below zero in colder valleys.

Brisk winds will make it feel even colder, with dangerous wind chills in exposed areas of the high Sierra dipping as low as -30 degrees, according to the weather service. Be sure to protect vulnerable populations as well as pets.

For the latest road conditions call 511 or go to NVroads.com. Check back for updates.