Carson City area weather: Chance of thunderstorms, potential for flash flooding this weekend
A low pressure system off the coast of southern California will bring air instability and moisture to western Nevada and the Eastern Sierra through the weekend and into next week creating the potential for thunderstorm activity, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.
Temperatures through the weekend will remain above normal with weak breezes each afternoon. However, flash flooding from the thunderstorms may become more of a threat late this weekend and into early next week.
The potential for these storms will be across the Sierra and far western Nevada as these areas will see southeast transport that will increase moisture and help initiated storms across elevated terrain, according to the weather service. The storms may not see the instability and forcing that is expected by early next week, but the moisture increase will begin to ramp up a flash flood threat.
For Carson City, Carson Valley and Dayton areas, the forecast is for mostly sunny skies Friday, a slight chance of thunderstorms Saturday, with heavy rain turning to party cloudy skies. Sunday and Monday's forecast calls for a slight chance of thunderstorms during the day and into the evening.
The weather service urges people to make the necessary flash flood preparations including cleaning out gutters and any drainage paths, clear away debris from nearby storm drains, park vehicles away from flood prone areas, and avoid camping along streams and rivers. Motorists who encounter any flooded roadways, should not attempt to go through.
As for the beginning of the week, and Monday at the time of the eclipse, the latest forecast trends suggest at least partly cloudy skies from remnant thunderstorm debris, with odds about 60 percent, according to the weather service. How much will this impact the eclipse viewing is unknown as that will be dependent on the exact position of the clouds in the sky at the time of the eclipse, and that is nearly impossible to forecast.