A fairly potent winter storm will push through the region Wednesday and Thursday, bringing mountain snow and valley rain (which could turn to valley snow Thursday morning) and high winds everywhere. A Wind Advisory has been posted for western Nevada from 10 am to 10 pm Wednesday, and the mountains are under a Winter Weather Advisory from 4 pm Wednesday through Thursday morning. Valley winds could gust to over 60 mph in the wind prone areas, with triple digit gusts could strike the peaks. Travel over the mountains will be difficult starting Wednesday afternoon with high winds and heavy snow creating whiteout conditions. Total mountain snowfall could total several inches at the lake, with 1-2 feet possible on the crests.

In the valley, the strong winds will limit the amount of rainfall we get initially, although there could be some spillover on the west side of the valley. As the cold front passes late Wednesday night, snow levels should fall to the valley floor, although any accumulation should be spotty. After high temperatures fall from the upper 50s Wednesday to the low 40s Thursday and Friday, they should rebound back into the 50s over the weekend.