Thin clouds blow over Jobs Peak as power was shut off to 42 NV Energy customers along Jacks Valley Road on Wednesday morning.
Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.
Liberty Utilities has notified its Markleeville, Woodfords, Hope Valley, Topaz, Coleville, and Walker customers that it may implement a Public Safety Power Shutoff 5 a.m. Friday to reduce wildfire risk and promote the safety of the community during the anticipated extreme weather conditions. If an outage is implemented, it could last more than 24 hours before power can be safely restored.
Douglas County customers of NV Energy were restored on Thursday morning after a safety outage was implemented for Wednesday.
However, the company has issued a watch for the possibility that power could be shut off north of Genoa from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday.
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Public safety outages are affecting nearly 14,000 power company customers along the Sierra Front from Walker to Verdi.
According to NV Energy.com, the vast majority of those are in Washoe County, but 42 residents along Jacks Valley Road north of Genoa are also affected.
Liberty Utilities said nearly 1,500 customers in Alpine and Mono counties have also had their power shut off in order to prevent wildfires.
Maximum wind gusts in the southern portion of the Sierra Front approached 60 mph, with wind gauges in Alpine View and Emigrant Trail reading 58 mph on opposite ends of Carson Valley.
“A strong upper level jet associated with the atmospheric river pushing into northern California will produce periods of strong, gusty winds across the Sierra and western Nevada today into early next week,” said National Weather Service Reno Meteorologist Edan Weishahn on Tuesday morning. “Sierra ridge winds will be quite strong today and persist through much of the weekend. Mountain-top wind gusts 60-80 mph will feel rather routine this week with only brief respites between storms.”
Media Relations Manager Meghin Delaney said the outage was required given the high winds and only light moisture in the region.
The last measurable rainfall in Minden occurred on Nov. 2 when .37 inches fell.
While other portions of the Sierra Front have received more, it has been more than a week since the last major storm.
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A red flag warning has been issued for 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday by the National Weather Service in Reno as a storm front arrives in Western Nevada.
The warning affects Western Nevada and Eastern California including all of Douglas, Mono, Lyon, Storey, Mineral, Churchill, Pershing counties, Carson City, eastern Alpine and southern Washoe counties.
NV Energy has issued a public safety outage watch for 6 a.m. to noon Wednesday for Genoa, Jacks Valley, Clear Creek, Verdi, Galena Washoe Valley Southwest Reno and the Virginia City Highlands.
The alerts are the result of a storm system expected to arrive late tonight and early Wednesday.
Winds are expected to pick up early Wednesday with 25 mph gusts until around 9 a.m. and 35-40 mph gusts through the afternoon.
Rain is not forecast to arrive until after 10 a.m. Wednesday and will be mostly light through Thursday before the next burst arrives on Friday morning.
“An atmospheric river making landfall along the Northern California coast will be the primary culprit in all of the weather impacts popping up this week,” said National Weather Service Reno Meteorologist Edan Weishahn. “The initial wave of moisture arrives Wednesday into Thursday with enough to warrant a winter weather advisory for portions of northeastern California tonight into Wednesday.”
Forecast rain of more than an inch is anticipated starting Friday morning and lasting into Sunday, when it turns to snow.
“Then with the next storm Friday into Saturday, we see a jump in the projected liquid storm totals with 2.5-3 inches for the Sierra crest, .75-1 inch for the foothills, and .10-.75 from the Basin and Range into far Western Nevada,” Weishahn said.
As warmer moisture with the atmospheric river arrives, there will be a rapid climb in snow levels to near 9,000 feet late Wednesday.
The question remains where snow levels will be as Friday's storm arrives.
The next wave could see snow levels around 7,000-7,500 feet for the weekend.
“Initial projections show the potential for 1-2 feet of wet, heavy Sierra cement for areas above 7,000 feet this weekend with this storm,” Weishahn said.
