Winds bring in cold weather

Temperatures are expected to drop into the mid-30s tonight after winds driving a storm into the area made life gritty for Carson residents Tuesday.

Branches were blown down and powerlines arced as winds with gusts over 40 mph.

Several stop lights were out and a few signs down as a result of the wind.

A wind advisory was issued for Washoe Valley by the National Weather Service.

"Some places were getting pretty good winds," forecaster Steve Goldstein said.

Winds at the Minden-Tahoe Airport gusted to over 30 mph. Shifting winds caused firefighters battling the Brunswick fire trouble.

Gusts of 47 mph were recorded in Washoe Valley, while winds over Slide Mountain reached up to 73 mph.

The winds are being driven by the jet stream, which was directly over Carson City on Tuesday.

However, by today the jet stream is expected to move slightly south.

"There is a cold area of low pressure just off the Pacific Northwest during the day tomorrow that will move a little bit to the south and bring in some cold air," Goldstein said.

Goldstein said the high temperature today may only reach 60 with temperatures dropping into the 30s tonight.

Gardeners might consider covering plants that have grown in recent warm days, he said.

"It's looking like kind of a cool and showery weekend," he said. "Extended models are not showing true improvement until Monday and Tuesday."