890
FXUS65 KREV 040954
AFDREV
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
154 AM PST SUN JAN 4 2026
KEY MESSAGES
* THE WINTER STORM CONTINUES TO BRING PERIODS OF HEAVY SIERRA SNOW
AND VALLEY RAIN THROUGH MONDAY.
* ANOTHER COLDER MIDWEEK STORM MAY BRING MORE SNOW CHANCES TO THE
SIERRA, WITH RAIN SHOWERS AND SNOW POSSIBLE DOWN TO LOWER
ELEVATIONS.
* A DRIER, WARMER WEATHER PATTERN ARRIVES FOR THE END OF NEXT
WEEK, LASTING INTO MID-JANUARY.
DISCUSSION
THE WINTER STORM HAS PERSISTED THROUGH OUR WEEKEND, AND WILL LINGER
THROUGH MONDAY. WIND GUSTS WILL STILL REACH UP TO 70 MPH ALONG
RIDGES, AND VALLEY GUSTS OF 25-35 MPH ARE STILL POSSIBLE TODAY. WITH
SNOW LEVELS FINALLY FALLING THIS MORNING, WE COULD SEE SOME SNOW
SHOWERS REACH TO THE FOOTHILLS BY DAYBREAK, WITH A LESSER POTENTIAL
TO SEE SNOW TO VALLEY FLOORS THIS MORNING, ALTHOUGH NOT OUTSIDE THE
ENVELOPE OF POSSIBILITIES. THE BETTER CHANCE TO SEE MORNING COMMUTE
DISRUPTIONS WILL BE MONDAY MORNING, JUST AHEAD OF DAYBREAK. SNOW
AMOUNTS ON VALLEY FLOORS WOULD BE LIMITED TO AROUND A TRACE, WITH
A 60% CHANCE OF THAT AMOUNT. AS FOR FOOTHILLS, SUCH AS THE AREA
AROUND VIRGINIA CITY, THERE IS A 20% CHANCE TO GET UP TO 2" OF
SNOW, WHICH WOULD BE ON THE HIGHER END OF TOTALS FOR THE AREA.
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, A SHORTWAVE PASSAGE TO OUR NORTH WILL KEEP
SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST FOR OUR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS ACROSS
NORTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA. AMOUNTS WILL BE LIGHT AND MORE OF THE
NUISANCE VARIETY IN TERMS OF IMPACTS. THURSDAY WILL BE DRY AS WE
SAY GOODBYE TO UNSETTLED WEATHER, WITH GUSTY RIDGE WINDS EARLY
MORNING OF UP TO 50 MPH.
FRIDAY THE RIDGING PATTERN TAKES AIM AT THE WEST COAST, SETTING US
UP FOR A STRETCH OF CALM WINDS WITH DRY, WARMING WEATHER THAT WILL
INITIALLY KICK OFF WITH SEASONAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURES. AS WE SAY
HELLO TO A NEW WEEK AND THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH, WE WILL SEE
TEMPERATURES APPROACHING AROUND 5 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE. HRICH
AVIATION
* SIERRA TERMINALS KTRK/KTVL/KMMH WILL CONTINUE TO SEE SNOW THROUGH
THE DAY TODAY. WESTERN NEVADA VALLEY TERMINALS MAY SEE RAIN
SHOWERS RETURNING UNDER HEAVIER BANDS THAT ARE CAPABLE OF SPILLING
OVER. RIDGE GUSTS OF UP TO 70 MPH WILL CONTINUE TO BRING LLWS AND
TURBULENCE TO THE REGION, AS THE ONGOING SHOWERS WILL BRING
TERRAIN OBSCURATIONS AT TIMES.
* THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR WESTERN NEVADA VALLEY TERMINALS TO
RECEIVE EARLY MORNING SNOW ON VALLEY FLOORS THIS MORNING, BUT
THE GREATER CHANCE TO SEE VALLEY FLOOR SNOW WILL BE MONDAY
MORNING AS SNOW LEVELS FINALLY SETTLE. HRICH
AVALANCHE
PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW AND GUSTY CONDITIONS PERSIST TODAY ACROSS ALL
AVALANCHE CENTER TERRAIN THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.
* SNOW LEVELS: SNOW IS EXPECTED FOR ALL AVALANCHE TERRAIN TODAY
THROUGH MONDAY.
* SNOW/SWE AMOUNTS: 1-2 FEET WITH UP TO 3 FEET LOCALLY FOR MONO
COUNTY AND THE CREST WEST OF TAHOE. SWE TOTALS BETWEEN 1" AND 2.5"
THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.
* SNOW-LIQUID RATIOS (SLR): BECOMING LESS DENSE WITH SLR'S
INCREASING TO 10:1 UP TO 13:1, WITH COLDER AIR AND LOWER SNOW
LEVELS THIS MORNING THROUGH MONDAY.
* SNOWFALL RATES: STEADY AT 0.5-1"/HOUR WITH PERIODIC BURSTS OF UP
TO 1-1.5"/HOUR, PARTICULARLY ACROSS HIGHER PEAKS.
* RIDGE TOP WINDS: GUSTS 50-70 MPH THIS MORNING WILL TAPER INTO THE
AFTERNOON TO GUSTS OF AROUND 45-55 MPH LATER TODAY. THESE WIND
SPEEDS WILL LINGER INTO MONDAY MORNING.
* LIGHTNING: 5-10% CHANCE THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. JUSTIN/HRICH
REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NV...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 AM PST MONDAY NVZ002.
LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON NVZ004.
CA...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM PST THIS MORNING CAZ070.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST MONDAY CAZ071.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 AM PST MONDAY CAZ072-073.
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