Thunderstorms back in the forecast for today

Widespread thunderstorms are forecast to return this afternoon as afternoon heating and unstable air will combine with moisture from the south, according to the National Weather Service.

“Widespread strong to severe thunderstorms are anticipated this afternoon capable of gusty winds, small hail, and localized heavy rainfall,” said National Weather Service Meteorologist Dustin Norman. “Daily chance of showers and thunderstorms will linger through the week and into the weekend.”

Lightning and wind through the Valley are the likely culprit for a power outage in Gardnerville that disabled traffic lights and darkened stores.

Motorists were taking turns at Highway 395 and Gilman Avenue as traffic backed up in town.

Reports are that the outage affected stores from the Raley’s south to Walmart.

Members of the Gardnerville Town Board started their meeting in the dark on Tuesday, but the lights came back on right around 5 p.m.

NV Energy reported nearly 100 homes and businesses were without power around 2:30 p.m.

“The low that's been hanging around will finally get pushed out east after Thursday, however another cut-off low is following almost the exact same track,” Norman said. “So unfortunately, from Friday onward showers and thunderstorms will be likely through the first half of next week.”

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A lightning storm is peppering the Sierra and the Pine Nut Mountains this afternoon as thunderstorms returned.

More than a dozen strikes in the Sierra and a handful in the Pine Nuts occurred as the storm made its way north after developing in the mountains.

National Weather Service radar showed cells crossing Alpine County northwest toward Lake Tahoe, while another storm cell was heading across southern Lyon County toward Douglas County.

Forecasters said that widespread strong to severe thunderstorms were expected this afternoon.

Gusty outflow winds blasted through Carson Valley with a 47 mph gust recorded at Minden-Tahoe Airport at 2:35 p.m.

As of 2:48 p.m., 97 Douglas customers were without power, according to nvenergy.com

Most of those, 83, are located in southwestern Carson Valley off Foothill Road. Another 13 were in Genoa while a handful were in the Gardnerville Ranchos. No time was available for restoration on the power company’s web site.

The location was just below where several lightning strikes peppered the Sierra around Jobs Peak.