Let it Snow (But Not TOO Much)

While it’s always tricky to try and predict the weather, most of the professionals are saying that despite the sudden freaky snow and cold earlier in November, the Carson area will be seeing a pretty steady trend of highs solidly in the 40s through the rest of the month, maybe a little higher in the next few days. Last winter, it wasn’t until about mid-January that we saw our first significant snowstorm and then some more on into February, when a couple of back-to-back storms with little melting in between left us with some winter wonderland scenery. The almanac calls for the snowiest times of this winter to be in early and late December, then in late January and late February, but I don’t know about that given what we’re seeing right now. Knock on wood that we’ll have a snow season that is bountiful for the snowpack in the mountains and gives us just enough down here to be pretty without causing the sorts of problems that have come with some of the big storms in the area’s history. Photo at left: Pixabay, Rick Veldman.

Maybe the headliner of such events, the top-dog blast from the past, is the storm of January 1916. Nearly two feet of snow fell in just half a day, as measured by the weather station in Reno. It’s mind-boggling to consider: In just over 12 hours, Reno got more snow than it normally averages in an ENTIRE YEAR. The final tally for January of 1916 would be 65 inches, or about three times the normal average all in that one month. The trains of the V&T Railroad couldn’t get through Washoe Valley, so Carson City and Reno were cut off from each other that way, and up in Virginia City, they had some seven feet of snow. I guess it could have been worse though, given that Tahoe City recorded almost 20 feet. Photo at right: Pixabay, Satya Prem.

While not many of us were around to bear witness to that storm, quite a few of us will remember the New Year’s Eve Flood of 1997. Over the course of three days, beginning on December 20 of 1996, a huge storm dropped nearly 2 feet of snow on Carson City. This was followed by rainstorms and warm winds beginning on December 30, flooding the area with both precipitation and snowmelt and swelling the rivers beyond capacity. Carson Valley and Carson City (as well as the rest of the region) experienced what was labeled as a 100-year flood. It caused at least two deaths and in Carson City resulted in more than $5 million in damage to homes, businesses and the city’s infrastructure. The total throughout the region topped $1 billion in damage costs.

Not quite so far back in the mists of time was the storm of January 2011. It had an impressive amount of snow to deliver at amounts ranging up to a foot and a half around the area, but it’s perhaps more notable for the winds that accompanied it. Gusts were recorded at up to 110 mph near Slide Mountain, and if you've ever seen a semi-truck knocked over on its side along that stretch of road through the Washoe Valley, you know the wind there is nothing to sneeze at. Between the wind and the snow, some two-dozen power poles were knocked down in the Carson Valley, and at least two car accident injuries were reported. Non-essential state workers were sent home, not an unheard of occurrence, but certainly something the government doesn’t do on a whim. Photo at left: Wikimedia Commons, Rick Cooper.

So now, if all this talk about monster snowstorms has got you in the winter-weather state of mind, we’ll close out on a little cheerier note. The Carson City Parks and Rec Department is seeking people who might be interested in helping to lead snowshoe trips. They are looking for adults who have some basic snowshoe experience and can assist the department staff to keep groups together on treks into areas with enough snow. Wilderness First Aid Certification is required, but training will be offered. If you fit the bill, you can contact the department for a volunteer application.

And one last thought regarding snow storms. If you're like me, and you prefer to experience the weather through a window while relaxing on the couch with a good book, you might check out (get this, you're going to laugh out loud at how this all comes together) the novel by Reno's Channel 2 Meteorologist Mike Alger. I reviewed it for one of the local newspapers when it first came out a number of years ago, and if you haven't picked it up yet, it's worth your time, whether you go with the print or e-book version. Oh, what's that, I haven't yet told you name of the book? Why, it's called Snow Storm. Of course.