With the arrival of spring Sunday, spring season weather around Carson City is expected as a fast moving storm system is forecast to bring breezy winds with chances for rain and snow Saturday into Saturday evening, followed by chilly conditions with brisk northwest to north winds Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
Projected snowfall amounts 1 to 3 inches above 5,000 feet across eastern California including the Lake Tahoe Basin, and 3 to 6 inches for the Sierra above 7,000 feet. Less than 1 inch is projected for western Nevada foothills above 5,000 feet, according to the weather service.
Wind will be out of the southwest to west winds Saturday with peak gusts 30-40 mph for lower elevations, 40-50 mph in wind prone areas, and 55-75 mph for Sierra ridges. For Sunday, northwest to north wind gusts 20-30 mph, except gusts 30-40 mph possible for Mineral County and southern Mono County.
Next week is likely to be dry and much warmer, with highs well into the 70s for lower elevations and 60s for Sierra valleys by next Wednesday, NWS forecasters say.
Go here or read below the latest forecast discussion from the National Weather Service.
Thursday’s snow showers for the Sierra and NE California will not provide much for us to measure, clouds will be the main feature. Temperatures warm Friday ahead of the next low pressure system this weekend which will then usher in colder temperatures, gusty winds and potential impacts due to snow showers for Saturday into Sunday morning. Once this bout of spring moves out of the area, we will see warming temperatures well above March averages.
Short term through Friday night
The luck of the Irish will not bring us the moisture needed to green up the hillsides, but some areas in the Sierra and NE California could see snow showers Thursday. A weak shortwave works across the area, bringing a meager supply of moisture, clouds and even a “wee bit ‘o’” wind increasing Thursday evening. Limited impacts are expected, some showers may only provide virga, and snow amounts that do accumulate should be light.
Temperatures climb on Friday to above normal territory, approaching upper 60s for some valley locations, while Sierra locales will enjoy mid to upper 50s. Friday evening, west winds increase ahead of the next system which promises more in the way of the liquid gold. Gusts at wind prone ridges could approach 60-75+ kts, while most mountain tops will see 30-40 kts, and valleys could see winds 15-25 kts. Some concern for impacts for overnight aviation or high-profile vehicles traveling during the overnight hours.
Saturday onward
The next system moves into the region at the start of the period on Saturday, bringing with it our next shot at wetting precipitation, breezy winds, and cooler temperatures (briefly). As the moisture pushes into NE CA after sunrise Saturday morning, snow levels look to start out around the 5,000-5,500 foot level, with spillover rain showers for western NV valleys. They will rise to 5,500-6,500 during the early afternoon before the cold front passage drops them to Valley floors Saturday night.
The greatest chance for roadway impacts would be during this time. It’s worth noting that the high March sun angle along with stored heat in the asphalt will quickly melt and dry roadways surfaces that manage to see accumulation. So the good news is travel impacts won’t hang around too long.
Latest national blend of model guidance calls for: 5-8 inches along the eastern Sierra Crest (locally up to a foot not out of the question); 3-6 inches at pass levels; 2-4 inches around Lake Tahoe level, including surrounding Sierra valleys and Carson range passes; half inch or less in lower elevations of western NV (west of a Fernley/Hawthorne line) and extreme northeast CA along/east of 395.
Winds will not be a major concern with this system as we should see peak gusts of 25-35 mph gusts in most areas, up to 45 mph in wind prone areas, and 60-80 mph along the ridges.
Moving into next week, if you are looking to get out and sun bathe you should be thrilled. Significant ridging will build across the region, effectively killing the storm track and leading to much warmer temperatures across the region.
While surface high pressure across the Great Basin will result in some breezy/gusty easterly winds at ridge level on Monday and Tuesday, rather benign weather is in store. As we approach the afternoon on Thursday, we look to be topping out in the mid/upper 60s in the Sierra and mid/upper 70s (local 80 possible) elsewhere across Nevada. Above average temperatures look to hang tight through the remainder of the week. This won’t be good for the snowpack, that is for sure.
