Gusty winds are expected for the remainder of Saturday with a few showers possible around Carson City and surrounding counties, according to the National Weather Service. A Wind Advisory is in effect until 4 p.m. Saturday.
Winds will be from the south to southwest, 20 mph to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. Wind prone areas along Highway 395 and I-580 could gust up to 55 mph, forecasters said.
The weather service advises gusty winds may blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.
Meanwhile, forecasters say to expect periods of light rain and high elevation snow through Sunday with some slick roads and travel delays for Sierra passes possible. See NVroads.com for travel conditions and updates.
Forecasters said accumulating snow of 1 to 4 inches will be confined to elevations above 7,500 feet, which may yield some slick roads for Sierra passes.
Two waves of light showers are forecast to sweep the region on Sunday with the first wave moving through Sunday morning and second, more showery wave occurring Sunday night, forecasters said.
Precipitation will be light on Sunday with perhaps a dusting to 2 inches of snow along the Sierra crest by sunrise Monday as snow levels remain above 8,000 feet.
Monday will be the best day for holiday travel before a stronger storm arrives Christmas Eve, forecasters said.
According to the latest weather discussion, the storm arriving late Monday into Tuesday will be stronger than its weekend predecessors, bringing another round of gusty winds, valley rain, and heavier mountain snowfall.
Expected snow totals for the Sierra crest have a greater than 60 percent chance of 6-plus inches of snowfall by Christmas morning. In a “boom” scenario, there is 30 to 50 percent chance that highest Sierra peaks end up with a foot or more of snow, forecasters said.
While these numbers will likely change in coming days, forecasters say there’s high confidence that snow and gusty winds will induce recreation and travel impacts on Christmas Eve.
Christmas will feature another break in between storms. It will likely be dry and chilly.
Another storm appears possible late next week with unsettled weather favored to wrap up 2024, forecasters said.
Check back for updates.
