Expecting a change for the wetter

The cold dry spell that has gripped Northern Nevada for weeks is expected to break as moisture from the south heads into the area today and stays through the weekend.

Heavy rainstorms will bring a chance of flooding, according to the National Weather Service.

"This is definitely not a typical winter storm," said Alex Hoon, weather service meteorologist. "Our temperatures should be lower initially, then rise. The snow levels will come up for this event, to between 7,000 and 8,000 feet. That's very high."

The jetstream is dipping down toward Northern California and Nevada, bringing moisture off the Pacific.

The persistent ridge of high pressure will start breaking down today and the first storm is expected to reach the area this afternoon, bringing several inches of snow to the Sierra and 1 to 3 inches of rain to the lower elevations through the weekend, according to the weather service.

The heaviest precipitation is expected Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, with slight respite Friday, Hoon said.

Any flooding is expected be minor, but people should stay tuned to their local news service for updates, he said.

"The soil can take a lot of precipitation before the flooding starts," he said. "The rivers and basins are lower than normal, so we're not looking for any major flooding."

The storm signals a break from this winter's cold temperatures and dry weather, which has left has left Carson Valley precipitation levels well below normal.

Snowpack levels at Lake Tahoe are between 35 and 40 percent of average, Hoon said.

January's precipitation levels in Minden stand at about .66 inches, well below the 1.47-inch normal.

So far, 2.28 inches or moisture has fallen since Oct. 1, or 58 percent of normal. The normal precipitation for this time of year is 3.94 inches, according to information from the National Weather Service.

Susie Vasquez can be reached at svasquez@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 211.