Carson City area weather: Gusty winds and light Sierra snow Friday; mostly sunny this weekend
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Fri, 01/07/2022 - 8:38am
A fast moving weather system will bring increased winds Friday for the Carson City area, western Nevada, Lake Tahoe and Sierra with gusts from 30 to 40 mph in valley locations, as high as 50 mph for wind prone spots along Highway 395, and 80-100 mph for exposed Sierra ridges, according to the National Weather Service.
This system will bring light rain and snow, mainly for the Sierra from Ebbetts Pass northward and for northeast California north and west of Susanville, according to the weather service. A Winter Weather Advisory for the West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada is in effect for Friday.
Around the Carson City area, NWS forecasters say there's a 50 percent chance of rain showers Friday with daytime highs in the lower 50s.
While only a few inches of snow is expected for Sierra passes, it doesn't take much to cause travel slow downs. If you are traveling, be sure to check road conditions. Check the latest road conditions with Caltrans and NDOT. For Carson City area updates see CarsonWeather.com. The latest road conditions can also be made by calling 5 1 1.
For Saturday and Sunday, the weather service says the Carson City, Carson Valley area can expect mostly sunny skies, with daytime highs in the low 40s, and overnight lows in the lower 20s.
See the latest National Weather Service forecast discussion here or read below:
Weak low pressure is nearing the Pacific Northwest coast and it is on track to bring light rain and higher elevation snow to northeast CA and far northwest Nevada.
A secondary wave will push a cold front into the region this afternoon and evening, with colder and closer to normal temperatures for Saturday. It will also bring more typically cold overnight readings tonight through Saturday night as winds diminish with surface high pressure building into the western Great Basin.
SNOW: Snowfall in the 1-4 inch range remains in play near the Sierra crest north of Highway 50 and for western Lassen County passes (Highways 36 and 44) today. For the Lake Tahoe Basin east of Highway 89, an inch or less of snowfall is expected with any morning light snow mixing with rain in the afternoon below about 6,500 feet.
While snowfall is most unimpressive for January and it does not reach the level of winter weather statements, note that significant slowdowns and periods of chain requirements are possible for passes in the Tahoe area. Check with Caltrans for the latest road conditions before venturing into the Sierra today.
WINDS: Winds have already increased for northeast CA and far western NV this morning. Gusts up to 30-40 mph still look good for most valley locations today, with peak winds to 40-50 mph for wind-prone areas along the Highway 395 corridor. Over ridges, gusts look to reach 80-100 mph and in fact are already doing so for the crest west of Lake Tahoe.
Sunday onward
A quiet weather pattern will be in store this weekend and into much of the following as a building ridge of high pressure remains the predominate pattern during this period. The nature of the ridge isn't particularly strong so there will be cycles of development from a high-over-low block to more of a omega block pattern as closed lows attempt to push across southern California and the Pacific Northwest.
What this mean for us is that we will stay in a dry pattern with seasonable temperatures through the middle of the month. While these lows attempt to push inland, there could be a day by the middle of next week where we could see increasing clouds and light precipitation as a weak trough swings through. However, even aggressive scenarios have difficultly generating a 1/3 of inch of precipitation in the Sierra by next weekend. Otherwise, expect dry conditions, seasonable temperatures, light winds, and strengthening valley inversions through next week.
Check back for updates.
