Light snow around Carson City and lower valleys, stronger system to arrive late Tuesday

With anywhere from a light dusting in the capital city to an inch or more from Reno into Washoe Valley, winter weather has arrived again, with a strong system shaping up to drop several feet of snow in the Sierra and several inches along the valley floors, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

The system that came in overnight was lackluster in many Carson Valley locations considering what is ahead for the week. While the snow in the Carson valleys was light, there was enough to make roads slick for the Monday morning commute, especially from north Reno to Washoe Valley, where snowfall ranged anywhere from an inch to three inches, according to the National Weather Service. Schools in Lyon and Storey counties were on 2-hour delays.

The arrival of the second storm is shaping up as a blockbuster storm for the Sierra with wind and snow impacts for western Nevada Tuesday night though Thursday. An active and moist onshore flow is forecast to continue through the weekend and into early February and is expected to bring additional snow accumulations to the Sierra and portions of western Nevada.

For the valleys, there's a Winter Storm Watch beginning Tuesday and a Winter Storm Warning for Lake Tahoe and the Sierra.

For Monday, snow is continuing to fall across the region this morning with rates tapering down in the Sierra north of Highway 50. This area of snow will drag southward this morning through the afternoon, according to the weather service.

Snowfall rates in the lake enhanced band have been reported as high as 3 inches per hour and a substantial amount of snow could have accumulated in northern Washoe Valley where banding has persisted. Expect delays this morning for the Reno Metro area with another inch or so possible for the Sierra Front.

Carson City and the Minden area could still see an inch or so as well with snow wafting southward, forecasters say.

Tuesday through Friday
After a lull in activity tonight through Tuesday afternoon, the main event arrives. A strong winter storm will impact the region bringing a prolonged period of heavy snowfall, gusty winds, and periods of whiteout conditions, especially for the Sierra.

Sierra Snow: Multiple feet of snow is expected in the Sierra starting Tuesday evening through early Friday morning. In general, 3 to 6 feet of snow is forecast above 7000 feet with about a 10 percent chance of even higher amounts, with 1-3 feet is forecast for Sierra valleys.

Western Nevada Precipitation: A less certainty here in snow accumulations since southeast flow and subsequent atmospheric mixing Wednesday will result in rising snow levels and a switch to rain for valleys south of Pyramid Lake.

The current envelope for the higher snow levels are 5000-5500 feet with most models just below 5,000 feet. Additionally, uncertainties remain in the shadowing effect of the westerly flow aloft. However, Tuesday night should bring a decent amount of snow that will make travel more difficult along the Sierra Front; current estimates are 1 to 2 inches Tuesday night with another 1 to 2 inches after sunset Wednesday.

Foothills will fair better with 6 to 12 inches above 5,000 feet and lower chances of switching to rain or rain/snow mix. Locations north of Pyramid Lake should also remain colder with 2 to 5 inches possible below 5,000 feet and 6 to 12 inches above 5,000 feet, forecasters say.

Wind: Strong gusts winds are expected to impact the region with 100+ mph gusts along ridge tops and 30-60 mph gusts for lower elevations of the Sierra and western Nevada.

Travel will be difficult to impossible at times and is discouraged especially in/around the Sierra beginning Tuesday evening. Similar events in the past have resulted in lengthy closures of Interstate 80. Whiteout conditions have also occurred with associated fatalities, the forecast winds will be sufficient to whip snow around with periods of extremely limited visibility. Even a walk can be deadly in these conditions. Otherwise, lake conditions will be hazardous as well with very rough waters expected on Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake.

Check the latest forecast at weather.gov/Reno and check road conditions with Caltrans and NDOT.
For the latest weather discussion go here. For Carson City area updates see CarsonWeather.com.

The weekend
Snowfall will begin to taper down Friday morning as the main axis of the low shifts inland. This will begin a brief lull in the weather at least through Saturday morning before another round of light snow showers develop across the Sierra. This may provide another couple of inches on snow accumulation in the Sierra but not so much in the way of precipitation spillover into western Nevada valleys, according to the weather service.

There is potential for deeper trough with a modest atmospheric river moisture plume to provide another period of moderate to heavy snowfall across the Sierra in the Sunday to Monday timeframe. While ensembles do favor the presence of an offshore trough, being over a week out, its still a bit far out to estimate potential precipitation amounts.