By Kayla Anderson
Sparks Tribune
After one of the snowiest, wettest winters on record last year in Northern Nevada, the start to the 2023/24 season has seemed a bit warm. Besides Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe in Reno and Mammoth Mountain opening mid-November thanks to their high base elevations and snowmaking capabilities, other resorts in the Tahoe/Eastern Sierra region waited until winter conditions became a bit more favorable.
By mid-December air temperatures were so cold that ski resorts were able to open, and then two quick winter storms dropped a foot of snow in the Sierra Nevada last week.
The temperatures have been cold in nearby Mineral County and other surrounding areas, too, with lows being around 13 degrees Fahrenheit. On Monday, January 8th, the National Weather Service posted that the current air temperature was 19 degrees at the Hawthorne Airport, 4 degrees at the Mammoth Airport, and -2 degrees in Minden. With temperatures in the teens and single digits, the NWS warned that roads were icy after snowmelt refroze overnight.
The cold and windy weather kept coming as another winter storm warning went into effect this week. Periods of sun, clouds, and snow are expected to blow into this weekend.
Since we’re going into what is considered an “El Nino” year, it’s hard to tell how this winter is going to go. An El Nino winter usually means that there’s warmer weather in the north and wetter weather in the south, and Nevada lies somewhere in the middle.
“El Nino can be a myriad of weather patterns,” says NWS Meteorologist Chris Johnston, explaining that it usually means a colder winter, like what we saw last week. He says that El Nino and La Nina weather patterns are often unpredictable and pre-existing weather throughout the season can determine how the winter season moves along.
Johnston says that from October 2022-April 2023, the Reno area weather stations reported a total of 15.38” of liquid precipitation, the second highest amount behind the 2017 season where it dropped 15.95”. Since October 1, 2023, the region has received 0.84” of precipitation. Here are other water totals in Northern Nevada from the past two years:
October 2022- 0.01” of precipitation
October 2023- 0.05” of precipitation
November 2022- 0.4” of precipitation
November 2023- 0.27” of precipitation
December 2022- 5.23” of precipitation
December 2023- 0.4” of precipitation
Johnston says that La Nina years are typically the biggest water years, and last year was considered a weak La Nina year that shifted into neutral conditions (the same as the 2017 season).
As of January 9, the NWS reported a dry cold front expected to pass through the region, dropping light snow to the northern and central Sierra. The NWS warned of strong western winds and cold temperatures accompanying the possible precipitation.
When traveling in the winter when there is a possibility of unsettled weather or winter advisories, Johnston encourages people to check the US National Weather Service Reno Nevada’s Facebook or Twitter/X social media accounts for daily updates and winter preparation tips.
“Always carry extra food, water, blankets, and an emergency kit. There are also a lot of resources on the main National Weather Service website, like winter weather safety tips that are good to read,” he says.
Or consider that when a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect, it’s probably best just to stay put or stay home.
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