135
FXUS65 KREV 121902
AFDREV
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
1202 PM PDT SAT SEP 12 2026
KEY MESSAGES
* STRONG, POTENTIALLY DAMAGING, WINDS TODAY AND TONIGHT WILL
BRING WIDESPREAD IMPACTS TO FIRE WEATHER, AVIATION, TRAVEL, AND
RECREATION.
* COOLER TO START EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH A GRADUAL WARMING TREND
ACCOMPANIED BY DRY CONDITIONS.
DISCUSSION
OVERALL, THE FORECAST REMAINS LARGELY ON TRACK TODAY. CURRENT
SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A LOW PRESSURE CYCLING OFF THE COAST OF
THE PACNW. THIS IS BRINGING A TIGHTENED PRESSURE GRADIENT, WHICH
WILL IN TURN INCREASE OUR WINDS TODAY. WIND ADVISORIES AND RED
FLAG WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM SUNDAY. WIND SPEEDS WILL
GRADUALLY INCREASE AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES, PEAKING BETWEEN 7
AND 11 PM TONIGHT WITH GUSTS UPWARDS OF 45 MPH AREAWIDE. WIND
PRONE LOCATIONS ALONG US-395 MAY EXPERIENCE LOCALIZED GUSTS OF
55-65 MPH. 700 HPA WIND SPEEDS RANGE FROM 40-55 KTS, WHICH
TRANSLATES TO GUSTS UPWARDS OF 80 MPH ALONG RIDGETOPS. WITH WINDS
OF THESE MAGNITUDES, EXPECT IMPACTS TO TRAVEL, FIRE WEATHER,
AVIATION, AND RECREATION THROUGH EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. MAKE SURE
TO BRING IN ANY LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS, STAY UP TO DATE ON TRAVEL
AND FLIGHT INFORMATION, AND IF YOU'RE DRIVING ALONG TYPICALLY
WINDY ROADWAYS, MAKE SURE TO KEEP BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL.
WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN ELEVATED THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY
MORNING, WITH GUSTS NEAR 20 MPH AROUND SUNRISE (LOCALLY HIGHER
ALONG RIDGETOPS, OVER 50 MPH). HOWEVER, WINDS WILL BE PRIMARILY
NORTHWESTERLY EARLY TOMORROW MORNING, A CHANGE FROM OUR TYPICAL
WEST/SOUTHWEST WINDS. BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON, OUR WINDS WILL RETURN
TO NORMAL ZEPHYR BREEZES OF 15-20 MPH.
AN ELEMENT TO NOTE WITH THE WINDS TODAY IS THAT SMOKE FROM THE
LUCAS FIRE IN CALIFORNIA MAY INFILTRATE LASSEN AND NORTHERN WASHOE
COUNTIES DUE TO SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT. HOWEVER, SMOKE DENSITY
IS LARGELY DEPENDENT ON FIRE ACTIVITY. FOR AIR QUALITY CONCERNS,
PLEASE VISIT FIRE.AIRNOW.GOV.
COOL, CALM, AND COLLECTED WEATHER SEEMS TO BE THE NAME OF THE GAME
MONDAY AND BEYOND. A WARMING TREND INITIATES TUESDAY, WHICH WILL
BRING AFTERNOON HIGHS UP TO NEAR NORMAL (LOW 80S VALLEYS AND MID
70S SIERRA). DRY CONDITIONS PREVAIL NEXT WEEK WITH WIND GUSTS
UNDER 20 MPH EACH AFTERNOON.
-GIRALTE
AVIATION
VFR CONDITIONS FOR ALL TERMINALS TODAY AND TOMORROW, HOWEVER THE
MAIN CONCERN WILL REGARD THE WINDS TODAY. AFTERNOON WIND GUSTS
PEAK AFTER 02Z TODAY, RANGING FROM 30-40 KTS FOR ALL SIERRA AND
SIERRA FRONT TERMINALS. FL100 WINDS WILL REACH NEAR 60-70 KTS,
PRODUCING WIDESPREAD LLWS FROM 02Z THROUGH AT LEAST 10Z. MOSTLY
SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS TODAY, BUT THE DRY COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE AROUND
12Z WILL SHIFT WINDS TO THE NORTHWEST FOR SIERRA FRONT SITES.
BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON, WIND GUSTS WILL CALM TO TYPICAL 20-25 KT
GUSTS AND RETURN TO BEING OUT OF THE WEST/SOUTHWEST.
-GIRALTE
FIRE WEATHER
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TODAY DUE TO STRONG WIDESPREAD
WEST/SOUTHWESTERLY WIND GUSTS OF 45+ MPH. THESE WILL OVERLAP WITH
MINIMUM HUMIDITIES OF 10-20% NEARLY AREAWIDE; LOCALLY LOWER
HUMIDITY LEVELS (SINGLE DIGITS) FOR THE LAHONTAN/HUMBOLDT BASINS,
AS WELL AS THE CHALFANT VALLEY IN MONO COUNTY. RED FLAG WARNINGS
REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH 2 AM SUNDAY.
WHILE DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE NEXT
WEEK, WINDS WILL DROP BACK TO OUR TYPICAL GUSTS OF 15-20 MPH,
HELPING REDUCE THE RISK FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER. HOWEVER, BRIEF
PERIODS OF ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY EACH
AFTERNOON WITH ANY LOCALIZED STRONGER GUSTS.
-GIRALTE
REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NV...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 2 AM PDT SUNDAY NVZ458.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 2 AM PDT SUNDAY NVZ002>005.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 2 AM PDT SUNDAY NVZ420-421.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 2 AM PDT SUNDAY NVZ423-429.
CA...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 2 AM PDT SUNDAY CAZ270-278.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 2 AM PDT SUNDAY CAZ070>073.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 2 AM PDT SUNDAY CAZ274.
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