Carson City area weather: Valley rain this weekend, heavy snow for Sierra
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Thu, 12/05/2019 - 2:15pm
With a weekend of Christmas holiday events across the Carson City region, it looks like Mother Nature will be active with valley rain beginning late Friday and feet of snow in the Sierra through Sunday.
After a brief break in the weather, dense fog is expected to linger into Friday morning, with a stronger weather pattern to arrive later Friday and continue over the weekend. Gusty winds may push some of the fog out of the valleys by Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
The upcoming storm will bring another round of valley rain and heavy wet snow to the high Sierra. For Carson City, which is hosting its Silver and Snowflakes Festival of Lights early Friday evening downtown, the timing of the system, for now at least, is later in the evening, which is good news for holiday revelers. Carson City activities run from around 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday evening.
"Early Friday evening it will probably be breezy with a chance of some light rain showers, but the bulk of the storm won't be coming in until later in the evening, probably after 10 p.m. and then into Saturday afternoon and evening," said National Weather Service Forecaster Edan Weishahn.
The system is expected to bring valley rain through Saturday, with snow in the higher elevations, she said. As snow levels fall late Saturday afternoon into Sunday, some snow accumulation is possible for the foothills as well and maybe a chance for the lower valley floors.
If you have plans to travel through the Sierra this weekend, make sure to watch the weather forecast closely and be prepared for travel delays across the Sierra.
A Winter Storm Watch is in effect from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning for the Sierra and greater Lake Tahoe area. The storm could produce snow accumulations of 1 to 3 feet above 7,000 feet with locally higher amounts possible. Depending on the snow levels, elevations between 5,500 to 6,500 feet could see accumulations of a few inches up to 2 feet.
Communities below 5,500 feet may receive under 2 inches of snow early Sunday morning with gusty winds possible. Total snow accumulations of up to 14 inches, except 1 to 3 feet above 7000 feet, and up to 20 inches west of Highway 395 is possible. Winds could gust as high as 60 mph.
Snow levels are currently forecast to hover near many pass elevations, so impacts could vary dramatically within just a few hundred feet of elevation. The most likely time for accumulating snow in Northeast California will be late Saturday into Sunday. For the latest travel and road conditions, call 511 or go to NVRoads.com.
The weather service advises to prepare an emergency kit for your home and car. If traveling consider alternate plans, remember to carry tire chains, extra food, water and clothing. Once the storm arrives, travel may be difficult or impossible for an extended period of time.
There will be some clearing after the storm leaves the region by late Sunday, according to the weather service.
"For those who are tiring from the active weather we are looking for a little bit of a break after this storm," said Weishahn. "It does look like we will quiet down a bit after Sunday, without any large storms on the horizon."
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