NWS Reno: Forecasting for the Sierra and Western Nevada Since 1905

Wet Weather this weekend? Where is it coming from? We start off this week relatively quiet as high pressure builds across the region. However, the main forecast item of interest turns to our next potential winter storm this weekend. If you have been reading our recent forecast discussions ,  you've read about the potential for a deep layer of moisture in the atmosphere to make its way across to the West Coast this weekend. These plumes of moisture are known by several different names such as " Atmospheric Rivers " or a "Pineapple Express " due to their ability to transport large amounts of moisture from tropics near Hawaii to the West Coast.  We often use the term Atmospheric River or (AR) for short in some of our forecast discussions. Figure 1:  Loop of Total Precipitable Water from Jan 22-Jan 25, 2016. Courtesy of CIMSS/University of Wisconsin-Madison The animated gif above shows a loop of "Total Precipitable Water" (TPW) over the

Another wintry day in Reno with snow levels down to valley floors, which means it was likely a slower and slicker commute for most this morning. Even with my all wheel drive vehicle I lost traction a couple of times. As the traffic signs were suggesting... Anyways, back to the snow level forecast. Snow levels are one of those forecast parameters that can be very tricky to pin down, and yet can have a significant impact to the overall weather conditions! Snow levels will play a key role in the forecast through the weekend, especially since it looks like northern California and western Nevada will be caught up in a very wet pattern. Check out the details in the latest forecast discussion here .  What is the snow level exactly? Think of it as the rain-snow line. We define it as the level at which precipitation is turning into snow, so there may be some rain mixed in there as well, and it isn't where snow starts to accumulate either. So when we are trying to determine where

Enjoy this double guest post by Washoe County Health District Air Quality Management Division and the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District. They are key partners that work with us throughout the year and we all coordinate with each other for fire, air quality, and weather related concerns. Enjoy! -     -     -     -     -     - Washoe County Health District Air Quality Management Division The Washoe County Health District Air Quality Management Division  works closely with local Land Managers to conduct Prescribed Fire treatment to our lands. As part of our Smoke Management Program, we have guidelines in place for Land Managers to follow when writing their burn plans, preparing for a prescribed fire, and the day of the burn. Smoke from prescribed fires does not impact our air quality like wildfires do. As discussed in the Wildfire Smoke in Northern Nevada blog post , particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) are found in smoke. As part of the guidelines for prescribed bu