967
FXUS65 KREV 022036
AFDREV
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
136 PM PDT THU APR 2 2026
KEY MESSAGES
* WIDESPREAD FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT AS COLD
AND DRY AIR RETURNS TO CA AND WESTERN NV.
* WINDS CONTINUE TO DIMINISH THROUGH THIS EVENING, EXCEPT FOR A
SHORT PERIOD OF INCREASED EAST WINDS FOR SIERRA RIDGE TOPS
OVERNIGHT INTO FRIDAY, FOLLOWED BY LIGHT WINDS FOR THE WEEKEND.
* A SIGNIFICANT WARMING TREND STARTS FRIDAY WITH TEMPERATURES WELL
ABOVE AVERAGE FROM EASTER SUNDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK, THEN
COOLER AND SHOWERY CONDITIONS MAY RETURN BY MID-LATE NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
AFTER LAST NIGHT'S WIND EVENT PRODUCED PEAK GUSTS OF 70-90+ MPH IN
FAR WESTERN NV (INCLUDING WIND PRONE SITES), AND SIERRA CREST
RIDGE GUSTS PEAKED OVER 130 MPH, THIS AFTERNOON'S NORTHWEST-NORTH
WIND GUSTS HAVE EASED BACK TO THE 20-40 MPH RANGE. WINDS IN MOST
AREAS WILL SUBSIDE AFTER SUNSET, EXCEPT FOR SIERRA CREST RIDGES,
WHERE EAST WINDS INCREASE WITH GUSTS NEAR 40 MPH THROUGH FRIDAY
MORNING.
AFTER THE RECENT STORM BROUGHT AREAS OF RAIN AND SNOW FOR THE PAST
COUPLE OF DAYS (WITH STORM SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 1-2 FEET ABOVE 7000
FEET AROUND THE TAHOE BASIN), A DRY AIR MASS TAKES OVER CA/NV AS
HIGH PRESSURE OFF THE WEST COAST THEN MOVES INLAND THROUGH EARLY
NEXT WEEK. THE MAIN WEATHER EFFECT WILL BE WIDESPREAD SUB-FREEZING
TEMPERATURES (TEENS AND 20S) LATE TONIGHT/EARLY FRIDAY, AND
ANOTHER CHANCE FOR LOWS AROUND FREEZING FRIDAY NIGHT, SO ANYONE
WHO ATTEMPTED SOME EARLY GARDENING DURING THE MARCH HEAT EVENT
SHOULD PROTECT SENSITIVE VEGETATION FOR THE NEXT TWO NIGHTS.
OTHERWISE, EXPECT A WARMING TREND FROM FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
FRIDAY WILL REMAIN ON THE COOL SIDE WITH HIGHS MAINLY IN THE
50S-LOWER 60S COMBINED WITH A STEADY EAST BREEZE (10-15 MPH WITH
GUSTS NEAR 20 MPH). TEMPERATURES WILL WARM UP BY ABOUT 10 DEGREES
SATURDAY AND ANOTHER 5-8 DEGREES FOR EASTER SUNDAY WITH HIGHS
MAINLY IN THE 70S FOR LOWER ELEVATIONS AND MID-UPPER 60S FOR
SIERRA COMMUNITIES. THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK, THE MORNINGS WILL
REMAIN COOL WITH CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS, WHILE DAYTIME HIGHS
REMAIN NEAR SUNDAY'S LEVELS WITH TYPICAL PM WEST BREEZES RETURNING
MONDAY-TUESDAY.
BY MID-LATE NEXT WEEK, A CLOSED UPPER LOW OFF THE WEST COAST IS
PROJECTED TO MOVE INLAND ACROSS CA. A RANGE OF STORM TRACKS IS
OFFERED BY THE MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE, SOME WHICH BRING COOL AND
SHOWERY CONDITIONS TO THE SIERRA AND EVENTUALLY WESTERN NV, BUT
OTHERS SHOW A SLOWER AND MORE SOUTHERLY TRACK WHICH WOULD REDUCE
THE PRECIP AMOUNTS. ALTHOUGH THIS TYPE OF STORM VARIANCE BRINGS A
LOWER FORECAST CONFIDENCE, OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS CALL FOR A
10-30% CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS FOR LOWER ELEVATIONS AND
30-50% CHANCES OF RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS FOR THE SIERRA, WITH SNOW
LEVELS ROUGHLY BETWEEN 7000-7500 FEET NEXT WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY. MJD
AVIATION
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. SURFACE WINDS
MAINLY NW-N WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 25 KT FOR THE MAIN TERMINALS
(EXCEPT LIGHTER AROUND KTRK/KTVL) WILL DIMINISH BY EARLY THIS
EVENING, WITH LIGHTER EAST WIND GUSTS NEAR 15 KT EXPECTED FRIDAY.
FL100 WINDS SHIFT TO THE EAST TONIGHT-FRIDAY AM WITH GUSTS TO 35
KT, SO ISOLATED TURBULENCE COULD REMAIN IN PLAY NEAR AND WEST OF
THE SIERRA INTO FRIDAY. FOR THIS WEEKEND, LIGHT WINDS ARE EXPECTED
FOR ALL MAIN TERMINALS. MJD
CLIMATE
ONE MORE LOOK BACK AT THE HISTORIC MARCH HEAT WHICH BROKE MULTIPLE
RECORDS AT RENO AND SOUTH LAKE TAHOE:
FOR RENO-TAHOE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KRNO)
* MARCH 2026 AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (55.6 F) WAS 9.0 DEGREES WARMER
THAN THE MARCH NORMAL, AND EASILY SURPASSED THE PREVIOUS WARMEST
MARCH (52.4 F IN 1934).
* EVEN WHEN COMPARING TO RENO'S APRIL CLIMATE HISTORY, ONLY APRIL
1992 (55.8 F) WAS WARMER THAN MARCH 2026. COOLER TEMPERATURES ON
MARCH 31ST DROPPED LAST MONTH'S AVERAGE JUST BELOW THAT APRIL
RECORD.
* THE WARMEST TEMPERATURE FOR ANY MARCH DAY (88 F ON THE 20TH),
SURPASSED THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 83 F FROM MARCH 31, 1966. THREE
DAYS IN MARCH 2026 (18TH-20TH) EXCEEDED THAT PREVIOUS 1966
RECORD.
* DAILY RECORD HIGHS WERE TIED OR SET FOR 9 DAYS IN MARCH 2026.
* PRIOR TO 2026, ONLY 11 DAYS IN RENO'S MARCH CLIMATE HISTORY
(SINCE 1893) REACHED OR EXCEEDED 80 F. IN MARCH 2026 ALONE,
HIGHS OF AT LEAST 80 F OCCURRED ON 7 DAYS.
FOR SOUTH LAKE TAHOE AIRPORT (KTVL)
* MARCH 2026 AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (45.1 F) WAS 9.3 DEGREES WARMER
THAN THE MARCH NORMAL, AND EASILY SURPASSED THE PREVIOUS WARMEST
MARCH (43.2 F IN 2015).
* EVEN WHEN COMPARING TO SOUTH LAKE TAHOE'S APRIL CLIMATE HISTORY,
ONLY APRIL 1985 (46.9 F) AND APRIL 1987 (45.8 F) WERE WARMER
THAN MARCH 2026.
* THE WARMEST TEMPERATURE FOR ANY MARCH DAY (76 F ON THE 18TH),
SURPASSED THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 71 F FROM MARCH 30, 2015. FOUR
DAYS IN MARCH 2026 (18TH-20TH, 24TH) EXCEEDED THAT PREVIOUS
2015 RECORD.
* DAILY RECORD HIGHS WERE TIED OR SET FOR 10 DAYS IN MARCH 2026.
* PRIOR TO 2026, ONLY 3 DAYS IN SOUTH LAKE TAHOE'S MARCH CLIMATE
HISTORY (SINCE 1968) REACHED OR EXCEEDED 70 F. IN MARCH 2026
ALONE, HIGHS OF AT LEAST 70 F OCCURRED ON 5 DAYS.
REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NV...NONE.
CA...NONE.
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