A High Wind Warning has been issued for western Nevada and the Lake Tahoe Basin for Friday as a storm system, accompanied by a very strong jet stream will bring powerful and possibly damaging winds to the entire region. Valley gusts could approach 70 mph, especially on the downslope areas of the western valleys (watch for blowing dust), and will likely be their strongest Friday afternoon. Mountaintop wind gusts will likely exceed 110 mph.

There is a lot of moisture in this storm, and the mountains should receive a lot of rain with high snow levels (8,000’). Mountain precipitation will probably start Friday afternoon and should peak overnight into Saturday morning.

Even with all the moisture in the storm, the valleys will likely be shadowed out Friday, and will have to wait until the winds back off a bit overnight before we get any spillover rain. Rainfall will be heavier in the foothills and the western side of the Truckee Meadows and will decrease quickly as you go east. There is a chance some valley locations won’t get any rain at all. A slight chance of showers Sunday will be followed another somewhat colder storm on Monday that could lower snow levels down to Lake Tahoe itself.