Geese wade in the East Fork of the Carson River last weekend. A winter weather advisory has been issued for portions of Western Nevada and the Great Basin above 5,000 feet.
Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.
A winter weather advisory that appears to skip over the Western Nevada corridor between Reno and Minden has been issued for Wednesday through Thursday.
Joining the advisory for the Sierra Nevada is one for southern Lyon and Mineral counties above 5,000 feet that includes portions of Antelope Valley in far eastern Douglas County.
In Western Nevada, rain will create wet roads Wednesday with the potential for slick conditions Thursday morning if snow reaches the valley floors, according to the National Weather Service.
Reno Meteorologist Mark Deutschendorf said the next storm is expected to arrive in two stages.
The first stage is Wednesday with Pacific moisture coming into the Sierra and spreading across Western Nevada.
“This will produce a round of steady light to moderate snow for the Sierra with snow levels generally between 5,500-6,000 feet,” he said. “Across Western Nevada, periods of rain will spread relatively efficiently across lower elevations with a rain-snow mix for foothills.”
Totals of between .1-.3 inches of liquid precipitation are expected with up to a half inch for parts of west central Nevada.
“The second stage of this storm will be colder as a reinforcing shortwave drops in behind the initial upper low, with snow levels
plunging to most valley floors late Wednesday night and early
Thursday,” Deutschendorf said. “The snow will become more banded and showery through Thursday with convective elements producing shorter bursts of heavier snow for the Sierra.”
There’s a possibility that short bursts of up to an inch of snow could accumulate in the valleys where larger and more persistent snow bands occur.
“Thursday evening`s commute may include travel impacts, as snow shower bands will have more potential to produce slick roads near and after sunset, before the snow winds down by late Thursday night,” he said.