Carson City area weather: Weekend storm to bring wind, Sierra snow, possibly to valley floors
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Wed, 03/11/2020 - 12:56pm
A winter storm will arrive this weekend bringing strong winds followed by heavy mountain snow that may reach the lower valley floors around Carson City and Carson Valley, along with much colder temperatures, according to the National Weather Service.
Breezy conditions will settle into the region Thursday afternoon, and settle by evening before ramping up by Friday evening into early into Saturday ahead of this weekend`s significant winter storm.
Forecasters say they have "high confidence" for the potent winter storm to affect the Sierra and western Nevada beginning Saturday and possibly lasting into Monday.
Winds Saturday could gust 100-plus mph possible over the Sierra ridges and gusts of 45-60 mph in the lee side valleys. This will create strong crosswinds, particularly on north-south running highways. Some dust is likely to kick up off the sinks of western Nevada as well, according to the weather service.
As of Wednesday's forecast, snow in the Sierra may begin sometime Saturday afternoon and continue through Sunday evening. The heaviest snow looks to be around the Tahoe Basin as the front stalls there for a period of time, but this can change. Rough snowfall amounts could exceed 2 feet along the Sierra Crest with around a foot possible in the Tahoe Basin. Several inches are possible for the 395 corridor in Lassen and Mono counties.
For lower elevations of eastern California and western Nevada, periods of snow are possible Saturday night through Sunday night, producing light accumulations mainly during the overnight and morning hours. Some foothill locations around Reno and Carson City may receive a few inches of snowfall.
At the last forecast, timing of arrival into western Nevada was unclear. Snowfall during the daytime in the valleys may be limited. However, if the brunt of the system arrives late Saturday, overnight snowfall accumulation could run along the Highway 395 corridor from Carson Valley to Carson City and Reno areas, according to the weather service.
Forecasters say if the weather system arrives late, there's a potential for up to six inches of snow on the valley floors. As of Wednesday, the chance for snow, however, was around 40 to 50 percent.
For Monday into Tuesday, there could be another burst of heavy snow in the Sierra Monday or more just snow showers. The upper low will linger into Tuesday with more snow showers and light mountain accumulations possible. It will remain cold with highs 10-15 degrees below average. Overnight lows will also be chilly with single digits possible in the Sierra valleys under clear skies assuming fresh snow.
Those with travel plans this weekend should plan for the possibility of hazardous wind and snow conditions and consider alternative plans especially for Sunday. Continue checking weather forecasts this week for the latest information.
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