Carson City area weather: Wind, cold and chance of snow to welcome March
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Thu, 02/27/2020 - 5:28pm
After a month of abundant sunshine and above averages temperatures that made February seem like April, the first day of March may bring a return to colder weather and the possibility of snow in the Sierra and even down to Carson City and the valley floors late Saturday into Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
Gusty winds on Saturday will bring concerns for travel, with high profile vehicle restrictions possible as well as aviation turbulence. Since it has been so dry lately, the blowing dust will likely be a widespread impact for western Nevada, NWS forecasters say.
Lake recreation is also discouraged since wind gusts will make it quite choppy for Tahoe and Pyramid, according to the weather service. Fuels and vegetation are still quite dry, and forecasters advise to be fire safe and avoid sparking a fire.
As for the front, almost all precipitation is behind the front and therefore it will be mostly a snow event even on the valley floors, forecasters say. There may be a quick 2 to 4 hour band of snow, likely heaviest in the Sierra, from Saturday evening into Sunday morning as the front progresses south.
It may briefly begin as rain on the valley floors for 5 to 30 minutes before changing to snow. As for amounts, it is a little early at this time for forecasters, but 1-2 inches for the lower valleys north of a Fallon to Yerington line is possible.
For the Sierra, 2 to 4 inches of snow is possible with up to 8 inches for the Sierra Crest. It is not a big storm, but the warm ground temperatures followed by the cold air behind could create a flash freeze situation, forecasters say.
Sunday will be cold behind the front with some snow showers. Snow showers will be most numerous in Mono County closest to the low and where northeast upslope flow traditionally does best, forecasters say.
Temperatures will struggle to reach 40 in the lower valleys and 30 in the Sierra. A brisk northeast 10-20 mph wind will make it feel even colder, especially after the recent warm weather.
The weather services advises motorists to plan for wintry road conditions in the Sierra and possibly “down here” in western Nevada valleys, like Reno, Carson City, and Carson Valley. For road conditions see NVRoads.com or call 511.
The weekend system will leave the region by Sunday evening with a favorable looking set up for a moderate east to northeast wind event in the Sierra and Lake Tahoe Basin from Sunday night into early Monday. Winds on ridges could reach 100 mph and perhaps 30-40 mph in the Tahoe Basin.
There will be a slow warm up for Monday, but temperatures should return to the 50s to low 60s for the lower elevations with 40 to 50s in the Sierra most of next week. Hope for a wetter pattern will have to wait a bit longer as high pressure redevelops over the west coast, according to the weather service.
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