Fall hangs on, but snow, wind, cold — and fireballs coming

More snow may be in the forecast for this coming weekend as temperatures are expected to drop Sunday into Monday.

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Reno said there’s a system expected to come through the area Sunday night into Monday with gusty winds expected, especially along the ridge. Dustin Norman, Reno meteorologist said winds may be about 30-40 miles per hour in the valley and can reach up to 80 miles per hour on the ridges, similar to last Saturday’s winds.

Norman said he’s confident we are going to see snow amounts in the mountains, but are not as sure if snow is going to fall in the valley area. He said Carson and Reno’s best chance for snow will be spillover precipitation from the mountains Monday afternoon.

Temperatures are also expected to drop to mid 30s Sunday night, which may prevent snow accumulation, but it’s going to be in the mid to high 20s Monday night.

For those brave enough to venture out in the cold, cosmic fireballs will be lighting up the night sky next week.

The AccuWeather Global Weather Center reports the Taurid meteor shower will be approaching its peak next week, with good visibility in the Northern Nevada. These fireballs are extremely bright meteors that last for several seconds and can light up an entire countryside at their brightest.

“Every year, the Earth passes through a stream left by Comet Encke, producing the Taurid Meteor Shower,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Dave Samuhel said in a press release. “This shower is notorious for producing fireballs, and there are signs that this could be a year of enhanced activity.”

This shower will last nearly a week, expected to occur through Thursday, but it may continue through the rest of the month.

Samuhel said the shower usually produces five to 10 meteors an hour.

The best time to view the meteors is near the shower’s peak during the new moon when the sky is darker, making the fireballs brighter. There isn’t a specific time of night that will be better for viewing, whenever it’s dark, there’s a chance to see the fireballs in the sky.