879
FXUS65 KREV 181912
AFDREV
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
1212 PM PDT WED MAR 18 2026
KEY MESSAGES
* DOMINANT HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO BRING HISTORIC MARCH WARMTH
THIS WEEK.
* THE WARM TEMPERATURES HAVE ACCELERATED SNOWMELT, LEADING TO RIVERS
RUNNING FAST AND COLD.
* DRY AND MILD WEATHER IS FAVORED THROUGH THE WEEKEND, BUT A
PATTERN CHANGE FEATURING BREEZY RIDGES, TEMPERATURE MODERATION
BACK TO NEAR SEASONAL AVERAGES AND CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION
ARRIVES NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
AT THE RISK OF SOUNDING LIKE A BROKEN RECORD ABOUT BREAKING RECORDS,
WE ARE ANTICIPATING THE HISTORIC WARMTH TO CONTINUE TO BUILD ACROSS
THE SOUTHWEST. AS THE RIDGE AXIS (592 DAM) CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS
CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA TODAY, OUR HIGH AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL
CHALLENGE THE ALL-TIME HIGHEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED IN MARCH AT RENO-
TAHOE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AT 83F DEGREES SET MARCH 31ST, 1966.
THE RECORD SET FOR SOUTH LAKE TAHOE IS 71F, ACHIEVED ON MARCH 30TH
OF 2015. OUR FORECAST HIGHS FOR RENO AND SOUTH LAKE TAHOE TODAY
ARE 85 AND 72, RESPECTIVELY. SO, ALL OF THIS HEAT ARRIVING MID-
MARCH IS ANOMALOUS, AT LEAST TWO WEEKS EARLIER THAN PREVIOUS
RECORD HOLDING DATES. FOR MORE ON THIS HISTORIC MARCH WARMTH, SEE
OUR CLIMATE SECTION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS DISCUSSION.
WE HOLD STRONG ONTO THIS WARMING PATTERN THROUGH THE REST OF THE
WORK WEEK, WITH OUR WARMEST DAY SLATED TO OCCUR ON FRIDAY. THE
WEEKEND WILL BRING A SHIFT AS THE HIGH PRESSURE PATTERN MOVES
FURTHER INLAND, WITH THE RIDGE AXIS MIGRATING OVER THE INTERMOUNTAIN
WEST. THIS EASTWARD PROGRESSION WILL BRING THE PERIPHERY OF THE
RIDGE CLOSER TO OUR REGION, WHICH WILL ALLOW SOME BRUSH-BY STYLE
ACTIVITY. SHOWERS LOOK TO BE HELD NORTH OF THE SOUTHERN OREGON/IDAHO
BORDERS, WITH BREEZY NORTHERLY WINDS AND A MODERATION OF AFTERNOON
HIGH TEMPERATURES THAT WILL FEEL MORE LIKE LATE MAY INSTEAD OF
LATE JUNE.
OUR NEXT BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR PRECIPITATION APPEARS LATE MARCH,
AROUND THE 24TH OR 25TH. AT THIS TIME, ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE SHOWS A
SHORTWAVE MOVING ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, WHICH SUGGESTS
ANOTHER BRUSH-BY SYSTEM. HOWEVER, A DEVIATION IN THE TRACK OF THAT
SYSTEM COULD BRING SHOWERS INTO VIEW, BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOW ON
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS. HRICH
AVIATION
BENIGN WEATHER REMAINS THE NORM FOR MOST TERMINALS THROUGH FRIDAY,
WITH LIGHT WINDS AND VFR CONDITIONS DOMINATING. KTRK IS THE LONE
OUTLIER, FACING A LOW-END RISK OF INTERMITTENT MORNING BR AND FG.
WARMING WILL RESULT IN INCREASED DENSITY ALTITUDE FOR THE REGION.
ANTICIPATE SOME DEGRADATION IN SLANTWISE VISIBILITY DURING THE
MORNING HOURS DUE TO HAZE LINGERING BENEATH SHARP TEMPERATURE
INVERSIONS.
-JOHNSTON
CLIMATE
NEW RECORD HIGHS WERE SET ON 3/17 FOR BOTH RENO AND SOUTH LAKE
TAHOE, SURPASSING THE PREVIOUS RECORDS BY 4 DEGREES. HOWEVER, THE
MORNING WAS COOLER WITH NO NEW RECORDS FOR WARMEST LOWS.
BOTH AREA CLIMATE SITES (RENO AT KRNO AND SOUTH LAKE TAHOE AT KTVL)
ARE ON TRACK TO SET NEW RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES EACH DAY THROUGH
SATURDAY. ALTHOUGH WITH LESS CERTAINTY, SOME RECORD WARM LOWS MAY
ALSO BE SET.
CURRENT RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR RENO AND SOUTH LAKE TAHOE:
DATE RENO NV SOUTH LAKE TAHOE CA
---- ------------ -------------------
3/18 77F IN 1947 63F IN 2004
3/19 77F IN 1997 65F IN 2015
3/20 81F IN 2004 68F IN 1997
3/21 80F IN 2004 68F IN 1997
-------------------------------------------------------
CURRENT RECORD WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURES FOR RENO AND SOUTH LAKE
TAHOE:
DATE RENO NV SOUTH LAKE TAHOE CA
---- ------------ -------------------
3/18 47F IN 1945 37F IN 2021
3/19 46F IN 2013 38F IN 2013
3/20 47F IN 2013 35F IN 2013
3/21 46F IN 2015 38F IN 1972
-------------------------------------------------------
WARMEST DAILY MARCH TEMPERATURES ON RECORD:
RENO, NV: 83F ON 3/31/1966
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA: 71F ON 3/30/2015
REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NV...NONE.
CA...NONE.
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