700
NOUS45 KREV 230249 CCA
PNSREV
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
630 PM PDT TUE JUL 22 2008
..PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEY RESULTS FROM JULY 21 2008 STORMS
THIS STATEMENT MAY BE UPDATED ON WEDNESDAY. PHOTOS FROM STORM
SPOTTERS AND STORM TRACK MAPS WILL BE POSTED TO OUR WEBSITE. VISIT
OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/RENO FOR DETAILS.
GENERAL INFORMATION
SEVERAL SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS TRACKED OVER PORTIONS OF WESTERN
NEVADA DURING THE AFTERNOON OF JULY 21 2008...MAINLY AFFECTING LYON,
MINERAL, AND CHURCHILL COUNTIES. METEOROLOGISTS FROM THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN RENO SURVEYED AREAS OF REPORTED DAMAGE AND FUNNEL
CLOUD SIGHTINGS ALONG US HIGHWAY 50 FROM NEAR LAHONTAN RESERVOIR
THROUGH THE FALLON AREA AND EASTWARD TO NEAR SAND MOUNTAIN.
THREE DISTINCT SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTED THE AREA: 1)
TRACKING FROM SCHURZ TO NEAR SAND MOUNTAIN (THIS WAS THE STRONGEST
AND LONGEST LASTING STORM OF THE DAY), 2) FROM NEAR WABUSKA TO
FALLON, AND 3) FROM NEAR LAHONTAN RESERVOIR TO WEST OF FALLON. AT
THIS TIME BASED ON SPOTTER REPORTS AND THE DAMAGE SURVEY EVIDENCE,
WE CANNOT CONFIRM A TORNADO TOUCHDOWN WITH THESE STORMS. HOWEVER
SPOTTERS DID REPORT FUNNEL CLOUDS WITH ROTATION AT THE BASE OF THE
CLOUD WITH EACH OF THESE STORMS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT WE SURVEYED
A RELATIVELY SMALL AREA ALONG US HIGHWAYS 50 AND 95, WHICH MAKES IT
VERY DIFFICULT TO DEFINITIVELY SAY A TORNADO PATH OCCURRED.
STORM #1
THE STORM WHICH TRACKED EAST OF FALLON NEAR SAND MOUNTAIN (#1)
PRODUCED A SWATH OF HAIL POCK MARKS IN THE MUD ALONG HIGHWAY 50
APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 22 MILES EAST OF DOWNTOWN FALLON. THESE MARKS
INDICATED THAT NUMEROUS HAIL STONES OF PEA TO MARBLE SIZE OCCURRED
WITH THIS CELL, WITH A NUMBER OF MARKS SUGGESTING HAIL UP TO QUARTER
SIZE.
THERE WAS DAMAGE TO A POWER POLE IN THIS AREA WHICH APPEARED TO BE
CAUSED BY HIGH WINDS...HOWEVER BASED SOLELY ON THIS A WIND SPEED
CANNOT BE ESTIMATED. A TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTER LOCATED NEAR FALLON
REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD WITH THIS STORM, BUT IT IS UNCERTAIN WHETHER
THIS TOUCHED DOWN. A DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEE WHO
HAPPENED BY THE SITE MENTIONED FLOODING HAD OCCURRED ACROSS DIXIE
VALLEY ROAD. THE DITCHES ALONG US HIGHWAY 50 WERE STILL FULL OF
WATER THIS MORNING, INDICATING TORRENTIAL RAINFALL FELL WITH THESE
STORMS.
STORM #2
STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE WAS NOTED SOUTHWEST OF FALLON IN THE
SCHINDLER LANE AND SCHECKLER CUTOFF AREAS. A FEW TREES WERE BLOWN
DOWN WITH BRANCHES TORN OFF. WIND SPEEDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 60 TO 70
MPH. A TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD WITH THIS
STORM AS IT PASSED OVER FALLON AND TO THE NORTH OF FALLON, HOWEVER
IN THE AREA WE SURVEYED WE FOUND NO INDICATIONS THAT IT HAD TOUCHED
DOWN. THE SPOTTER ALSO REPORTED SEEING A GREENISH COLOR TO THE SKY
WHICH IS INDICATIVE OF A HAIL CORE. HAIL UP TO 1.25 INCH DIAMETER
OCCURRED WITH THIS STORM IN FALLON.
STORM #3
THE STORM SURVEY CONCLUDED IN THE VICINITY OF FORT CHURCHILL STATE
PARK IN LYON COUNTY SOUTH OF SILVER SPRINGS, WHERE PARK RANGERS
INDICATED A BRIEF PERIOD OF SMALL HAIL, BUT A MORE PROLONGED PERIOD
OF HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INITIAL STAGES OF
THIS STORM. ONLY MINOR TREE DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED IN THIS AREA
ALTHOUGH PARK RANGERS MENTIONED THAT CLEANUP HAD ALREADY OCCURRED
AND THAT A PORTABLE TOILET HAD BEEN BLOWN OVER IN THE STORM. BASED
ON THIS INFORMATION...WIND SPEEDS WERE ESTIMATED AT APPROXIMATELY 60
TO 70 MPH.
CS/RM/SM
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page