Will storms bring snow to Carson City? Forecasters say valley floor maybe, foothills likely
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Mon, 11/26/2018 - 4:11pm
A clearer picture of what this week’s series of storms may bring has emerged from National Weather Service forecasters Monday, with a Winter Storm Watch now in effect for Lake Tahoe and Sierra, which could see 3 or more feet of snow and a slight chance of snow down to the valley floors by the end of the week.
The storms are spread out through the week beginning Tuesday and will run into at least Saturday, according to forecasters. As the week progresses, the storms are expected to grow stronger and bring more moisture with them.
“We’re looking at a good solid winter storm for the Sierra,” said NWS forecaster Dawn Johnston. “With the arriving Thursday storm, where heavier bands of rainfall are expected, it will hopefully bring enough rainfall to wrap up fire season in western Nevada.”
The first half of the first storm in the series will begin Tuesday afternoon, with Johnston calling it “a quick hitter” moving in and out as soon as it arrives, followed by the second half arriving Wednesday morning.
Snow levels during peak precipitation around 7,500 feet on Tuesday afternoon, falling to 6,500 feet Wednesday morning, with about an inch of snow in the Sierra.
These two waves will be shorter duration, quick moving type storms meaning it may limit rain and snow accumulations. Minor snow accumulations possible down to 6,500 feet by Wednesday morning. Snow may affect I-80 and Highway 50 over the Tahoe crest.
Thursday morning commutes for Sierra communities, including Tahoe and Mammoth, will be impacted by snow as the next storm rolls into the Sierra and western Nevada.
While upper level jet dynamics won’t be maximized over the Tahoe basin, there will still be enough moisture and instability to produce decent snowfall, said Johnson.
The best dynamics and moisture will be across Mono and Alpine counties Thursday. From late Wednesday through Thursday areas above 7,500 to 8,000 feet can expect around 1 to 3 feet of snowfall, while areas between 5,000 to 7,500 feet may see around 6 to 18 inches.
For western Nevada, this storm will bring a decent opportunity for wetting rains and will hopefully put an end to the fire season for the Sierra front. While intensity of precipitation will be difficult to predict for now, areas in western Nevada should plan to experience modest responses/rise on area creeks and rivers.
While some snow is possible on valley floors in Reno and Carson City urban areas, the foothills such as Kings Canyon, Virginia City, Somersett, Galena area, etc. may stand a better chance to see some accumulating heavy, wet snow on Thursday, said Johnson.
For the western Nevada communities that are above that 5,000 feet elevation, the snow character will likely be on the wet side, but forecasters say there could be anywhere between 6 to 12 inches for those areas for now.
If the snow level does drop to Carson City and the other valley floors, it will likely be slushy, said Johnston.
Saturday's weather system appears to be colder, and may actually bring snow accumulation to the valley floor, according to an update from the weather service on Tuesday.
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