Forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Reno are warning area residents to prepare for heavy snow, issuing a Winter Storm Warning that will be in effect from 7:00a.m. Wednesday until early Friday morning.
Total snow accumulations of four to ten inches, except six to eighteen inches west of Highway 395, are expected. The lowest valleys, below 4,000 to 4,500 feet in elevation are expected to see up to three inches of snow.
Winds will be gusting as high as 45mph.
The Winter Storm Warning is for Lassen, eastern Plumas and eastern Sierra counties and in those areas, travel could become exceedingly difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute.
Snow levels will start off below 4,000 feet tomorrow morning, before briefly increasing to 5,000 to 6,000 feet Wednesday afternoon. Snow levels will then fall again to the valley floor on Thursday.
This storm will come in two parts, and areas east of Highway 395 may see a brief break Wednesday evening.
Winds across Sierra ridgelines will increase Wednesday afternoon and peak overnight with gusts likely to exceed 100mph. Winds down on the valley floors do not look overly strong but typical wind prone areas along Highway 395 could see gusts above 40mph Wednesday evening and night.
Rain and snow return to the region Wednesday through Thursday night. There will be some breaks, especially for areas east of the Sierra Wednesday afternoon and evening between the warmer and colder portions of the storm.
Snow levels will be tricky with this storm and there may be a period Wednesday afternoon when they rise to 6,500 to 7,500 feet in the Sierra but stay near 4,000 to 4,500 feet in western Nevada. This is a situation where rain occurs around Lake Tahoe while snow or a rain/snow mix occurs in western Nevada valleys.
A cold front will drop snow levels below 5,000 feet Wednesday night in the Sierra, but help lift snow levels into the 4,500-to-5,000-foot range by mid-morning Thursday for western Nevada. 1 1.
