A one-two storm punch is likely this week, bringing cooler temperatures, gusty winds and rain to Carson City and surrounding counties and snow levels down to the Sierra passes, according to the National Weather Service.
The strong, persistent high pressure ridge that has been over the western US for weeks will finally break down Monday, with temperatures dropping by around 3 to 6 degrees, though still above average for the final days of March, according to NWS forecasters.
In addition to the cool-down, westerly winds will increase as the day progresses. Wind gusts upwards of 30-40 mph will be common in the western Nevada valleys and local area lakes, with gusts between 50-60 mph along the Sierra ridges. A Lake Wind Advisory in effect for Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake from 11 a.m. to
10 p.m. Monday, March, 30.
As for precipitation Monday, NWS weather models show rain showers likely, 50-70 percent, moving into Lassen, Surprise Valley and northern Washoe County by 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., with snow levels around 8,000 feet. Other areas should be mostly dry.
By Tuesday, another shortwave trough moving into the region will allow Monday’s surface cold front to continue its southward track, according to NWS forecasters. This will lead to likely periods of rain throughout the Sierra, with snow levels between 7,500 to 8,000 feet before colder air moves in Wednesday. Tuesday’s high temperatures will finally return to seasonal readings.
For Wednesday into Friday, a closed-low will move through the Great Basin. These lows are notoriously hard to predict several days out during the spring transition season, therefore National Weather Service forecasters say they will continue to have uncertainty about precipitation quantities and snow levels.
However, the current trend still favors a period of much cooler temperatures, Sierra rain and snow showers, along with gusty winds throughout the region. By the weekend into the start of next week, NWS forecasters say the stormy weather should clear out, followed by a warmup as another ridge moves back into the western U.S.
