Wet and windy…those are the two main operative weather words for the next couple of days. An Atmospheric River is moving into the region, with heavy rain expected starting Friday and continuing through Saturday. Rainfall amounts will range from a half an inch to an inch in the valleys to as much as 5 inches on the crest of the Sierra. Areal Flood Watches are in effect just about everywhere through Saturday, and Flood Warnings are in effect along the Truckee River in Truckee itself (where moderate to major flooding is forecast), as well as through Reno. At this time, any flooding in Reno is likely to be minor, and worst-case scenarios through Sparks could result in moderate flooding. Winds will also be very strong, gusting to the thirties on Friday, and increasing to possibly damaging levels on Saturday, especially if heavy rains soften up the root systems of trees.

By Sunday, the skies should clear and conditions will stay dry until Tuesday and Wednesday when another storm system moves into the region.

Temperatures will fall to the low 60s from Friday through Sunday and warm to the low 70s on Monday.