The National Weather Service office in Reno is warning that a significant storm will most likely impact northeast California and western Nevada late this week as a developing storm in the Gulf of Alaska is on track to tap into a plume of deep moisture lifting north toward the West Coast starting late Wednesday.
According to the NWS forecasters snow levels are likely to start above 7500 feet with this storm and fall through the day Thursday. Precipitation amounts with this storm could vary from 2 to 4 inches across northeast California and the northern Sierra with less than 2 inches in the High Sierra of Mono County.
In western Nevada rainfall amounts may vary from around a quarter inch in the valleys to an inch or more in the foothills above Reno and Carson City.
Breezy winds are also likely ahead of the storm late Wednesday into early Thursday morning… especially along the Highway 395 corridor from Susanville south into Mono County.
Questions remain regarding how fast snow levels will fall in this storm. The differences in the forecast model data cast doubt on snow amounts in the Sierra and northeast California below 7000 feet. If snow levels fall fast enough the Sierra valleys below 7000 feet, including the Honey Lake Valley, could see significant snowfall. If the snow levels fall slower snow fall amounts will be much less.
In the higher elevations of the Sierra, above 7000 feet up around Tahoe, several feet of snow are possible from late Wednesday night through Friday morning. Above 8000 feet in Mono County 1 to 2 feet of the white stuff is possible by late Friday.
Travel restrictions are likely in the Sierra later this week. Check back frequently for updates as this storm develops further.
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