[SIERA] White New Year?

[Dick Flanagan]

Keep your batteries charged, cupboards full, generators primed and your gas 
tanks full.  This second storm could be a doozie!

73, Dick

---- Begin forwarded message ----
From: "Matthew Parker" <n7tod at renoskywarn.org>
Date: Sat, 25 Dec 2004 07:23:55 -0800
Subject: White New Year?

Below is an excerpt from last night's forecast discussion issued by the
National Weather Service in Reno.  Note what Brian says about the second
storm expected to arrive late next week.  The storm of 1990 he compares
it to I remember well.  The strong winds and heavy snow that resulted
from that storm downed a major power transmission line from Idaho and
caused widespread power outages all across the northern portion of
Nevada, affecting approximately 100,000 customers of Sierra Pacific
Power Company for several hours.  I was working Security at Harrah's
Hotel/Casino at the time - it was a very hectic night with all the
issues that resulted from the power outage.  One of the things I
remember best was that around 10:30 P.M., as the power had finally come
back on and things were calming down, I was walking across the skyway
over Center Street with a co-worker and witnessed someone rocketing down
the middle of the street...on a snowmobile.  Not a problem as there
certainly wasn't much rubber-tired traffic moving around the streets
buried in almost two feet of snow.

Stay tuned to weather forecasts this week, and be prepared.

Merry Christmas to all,
Matt

-----------------------------------------------------

SECOND SYSTEM IS A BIGGER CONCERN...AND MEDIUM RANGE MODELS HAVE  GOOD
AGREEMENT ON IT.  A VERY COLD UPPER LOW...SNOW LEVELS BELOW  3000
FEET...WILL DROP SOUTH ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST AND LINGER OFF  THE
OREGON COAST FOR A DAY OR TWO.  TIMING ISSUES ARE STILL THERE  BUT THE
STORM COULD BEGIN TO AFFECT THE NORTHERN SIERRA ON THE  30TH.  MODEL
PATTERN IS VERY SIMILAR TO SEVERAL WELL DOCUMENTED  SIGNIFICANT WINTER
STORMS FOR THE SIERRA AND RENO AREA...THAT HAVE  PRODUCED VERY LARGE
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS FOR THE SIERRA AND WESTERN  NEVADA.  TURNING THE
MODEL PATTERN INTO REALITY DOESNT ALWAYS  HAPPEN...BUT THE THREAT IS
THERE AND WITH SOME CONFIDENCE BEHIND  IT.  THOSE TRAVELING OR VISITING
THE SIERRA AND WESTERN NEVADA  BETWEEN CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS NEED TO
BE CAUTIOUS AND PREPARED FOR  A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM.

ON A PURELY HISTORICAL NOTE.  A STORM WITH THIS PATTERN HIT THE AREA
FEBRUARY 16-17 IN 1990...DUMPED 21 INCHES OF SNOW IN RENO...AND 6  FEET
IN THE SIERRA.  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!  BRONG


---- End forwarded message ----
--
Dick Flanagan K7VC NV SM
E-mail: k7vc at arrl.org