MONTH TO DATE PRECIPITATION FOR AUGUST IS 0.00.  YEAR TO DATE PRECIPITATION THE WATER YEAR 2007-2008 BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, IS 9.58 INCHES. 

FOR THE MOST CURRENT WEATHER OBSERVATIONS FOR CARSON CITY UPDATED EVERY 15 MINUTES, CLICK HERE.

SHORT TERM:

SKIES ARE MOSTLY SUNNY THIS MORNING IN THE WAKE OF A WEAK LOW NOW MOVING NORTH INTO OREGON AND IDAHO.  DEWPOINTS ARE UP A BIT, INTO THE MID TO UPPER 40S, WHILE DEW POINTS IN THE 50S ARE LOCATED TO THE SOUTH AND EAST OF THE AREA.  TODAY LOOKS TO BE PERHAPS THE MOST ACTIVE DAY FOR THUNDERSTORMS WITH ENOUGH AVAILABLE MOISTURE FOR SOME WETTING RAINS.  THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BEGIN TO DEVELOP BY EARLY AFTERNOON WITH A CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURE OF NEAR 87F.  SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT SHOULD KEEPS STORMS MOVING FAIRLY RAPIDLY BUT COULD DROP SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN.  THE ONLY CONCERN IS THE AFTERNOON ZEPHYR MAY KICK IN LATER THIS AFTERNOON, FOCUSING THUNDERSTORM FORMATION JUST SOUTH AND EAST OF THE AREA, AS LIGHT SOUTHWEST FLOW IS  ALREADY EVIDENT THE UPPER ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA.

ON THURSDAY, MOISTURE REMAINS OVER THE AREA BUT THE FLOW BECOMES MORE SOUTHWESTERLY SO THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP EAST OF THE RENO/CARSON CITY AREA.  SOME STORMS MAY BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF HAIL, STRONG OUTFLOW WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN.  HIGHS TODAY AND THURSDAY WILL BE IN THE LOW 90S WITH LOWS TONIGHT IN THE UPPER 50S.

FOR FRIDAY THROUGH THIS WEEKEND, DRY SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL PUSH ALL MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WELL EAST OF THE AREA AS A TROUGH APPROACHES THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST.  TEMPERATURES MAY ACTUALLY WARM A COUPLE OF DEGREES DUE TO AFTERNOON WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

LONG TERM:

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK, A TROUGH PERSISTS OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST WHILE A STRONG RIDGE REMAINS OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST.  AT THIS TIME, THIS PATTERN WILL CONTINUE THE DRY SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT SO TYPICAL AFTERNOON WINDS AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE.  IF THE RIDGE BUILDS AND BECOMES A BIT MORE AMPLIFIED, A RETURN TO SOUTHERLY FLOW MAY OCCUR WITH ANOTHER BRIEF ROUND OF MOISTURE ADVECTION AND THE SLIGHT POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS.  HIGHS WILL WARM INTO THE LOW AND MID 90S WITH LOWS AT NIGHT IN THE LOW TO MID 50S.

R SANDBERG

DISCLAIMER:  THIS OUTLOOK IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.  PLEASE CONSULT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR OFFICIAL FORECASTS.

Skywarn Spotter Program and  the Citizen Weather Observer Program (CWOP) are courtesy of NOAA
and the National Weather Service.

CONTACT INFO:  carsonspotter@earthclimate.info

Satellite image courtesy of NOAA Satellite Information Service.  For the latest loop, click here.