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December 30, 2005 - January 1, 2006 New Years Flooding
Areas affected: Reno, Sparks, Carson City and the Eastern Sierra
OVERVIEW:
The flooding event of December 30, 2005 - January 1, 2006 was certainly an event for the record books. This event while similar to the 96/97 New Years flood event was a bit different in that the rain was much heavier in a shorter duration but low elevation snow pack was lacking during the current event. Many areas on the eastern slopes of the Sierra and western Nevada received anywhere from 2 to 6 inches of rain. This was the result of an unusually strong Pacific jet stream with origins from the Philippines and Indonesia. A strong thermal gradient from cold air moving off the Asian continent merging with warm tropical air and convection in the western Pacific helped to strengthen the jet stream that later reached the west coast. A large trough in the Gulf of Alaska helped to direct storms into the west coast and the Sierra with less splitting. Minimal blocking and progressive flow pattern across North America also allowed storms to progress into the west coast. High elevation rains began to fall on December 30, 2005 up to 9000 feet of which added to saturated soils. If this event had encountered a low elevation snow pack as in 1996/1997, the results could have been catastrophic and flooding would have been significantly worse than that event. Here is the radar loop during the heavy rain event.
THE EVENTS:
December 30, 2005 - The weather started out rather windy and cloudy with no precipitation in the morning hours. By 11:00 AM PST time rain began falling in the Reno/Carson City area. Winds were rather gusty from the west at 30-40 MPH with higher gusts. Heavy rain showers began falling through most of the afternoon. By 500 PM PST steady rain heavy at times began falling over the area and lasted much of the night. In Carson City the rain had accumulated to nearly 1 inch and the Reno National Weather Service had issued a Flash Flood Warning for West Central Carson City and the Waterfall Burn areas at 5:00 PM PST.
December 31, 2005 - By Saturday morning, major flooding was occurring on the mainstem rivers of the Truckee and Carson rivers. The river flows in Reno were near 14.0 Feet with 13,000 CFS flowing down the Truckee River. Some areas of downtown Reno were flooded with several streets closed. After lessons learned in 1997, crews were able to remove debris from backing up on the bridges minimizing flooding in the downtown area. Further south, both forks of the Carson River were at flood stage with combined total unrestricted flows near 17,000 CFS. Many areas of the Carson Valley and Dayton were seeing moderate to major flooding due to 4-10 inches of rain in the Carson River Basin. In Carson City, many east to west streets in Carson City were experiencing flooding with drainage into the downtown area. Mud and debris from the Waterfall fire area of July 2004 were injected into the creeks and streams of western Carson City as heavy rain continued. The Flash Flood Warning in Carson City was extended through 4PM PST as noted with the statement below:
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January 1, 2006 - Another storm was bearing down on the Sierra and Western Nevada. Steady rain began falling in the area around 3:00 PM PST. Rain increased over the area and continued overnight. Rivers began to rise again but not at high as the December 31, 2005 event since snow levels were near 7000-7500 feet. Flood warning statement is posted below to support this event.
WGUS45 KREV 020334
FLWREV
CAC057-091-NVC019-029-031-021443-
FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
730 PM PST SUN JAN 1 2006
...A FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE TRUCKEE RIVER FROM SPARKS
TO NIXON NEVADA FROM EARLY MONDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...
MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST FROM SPARKS DOWNSTREAM TO NIXON BEGINNING
EARLY MONDAY MORNING...
FROM ONE TO THREE INCHES OF RAINFALL IS EXPECTED ON THE TRUCKEE
RIVER BASIN BELOW 7500 FEET SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.
RUNOFF FROM THIS PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BRING THE TRUCKEE
RIVER BACK SLIGHTLY ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BEGINNING EARLY MONDAY MORNING AT
SPARKS...THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT AT NIXON. ONLY MINOR FLOODING IS
EXPECTED...AND STAGES WILL REMAIN WELL BELOW THOSE EXPERIENCED ON
NEW YEARS EVE.
FOLLOWING ARE THE FORECASTS FOR THE TRUCKEE RIVER. ALL STAGES ARE
IN FEET...
TRUCKEE RIVER AT... FARAD
RENO VISTA
MONITOR STAGE... 10.0
9.0 13.0
FLOOD STAGE... 11.0
11.0 15.0
OBSERVED STAGE
6.9 8.4
12.5
AT...
7 PM SUN 7 PM SUN 7 PM SUN
FORECAST STAGES FOR...
08PM SUN
6.6 8.3
13.9
11PM SUN
6.9 8.6
14.5
02AM MON
7.2 9.0
15.0
05AM MON
7.4 9.2
16.5
08AM MON
7.7 9.5
16.2
11AM MON
8.0 9.3
16.0
02PM MON
7.8 9.2
15.8
05PM MON
7.5 9.0
15.5
ALL STAGES IN FEET...
FOLLOWING ARE THE FORECASTS...
FOR THE TRUCKEE RIVER AT FARAD...AT 7 PM SUNDAY THE STAGE WAS 6.9 FEET.
THIS IS 4.1 FEET BELOW THE 11.0 FOOT FLOOD STAGE. NO FLOODING IS
FORECAST.
A MAXIMUM STAGE OF 8.0 FEET IS FORECAST FOR LATE MONDAY MORNING...WHICH
IS 3.0 FEET BELOW FLOOD STAGE. IT IS THEN EXPECTED TO FLUCTUATE NEAR
7.5 FEET THROUGH MONDAY EVENING.
FOR THE TRUCKEE RIVER AT RENO...AT 7 PM SUNDAY THE STAGE WAS 8.4
FEET. THIS IS 2.6 FEET BELOW THE 11.0 FOOT FLOOD STAGE. NO
FLOODING IS FORECAST. A MAXIMUM STAGE OF 9.5 FEET IS FORECAST FOR
MONDAY MORNING...WHICH IS 1.5 FEET BELOW FLOOD STAGE.
FOR THE TRUCKEE RIVER AT RENO AT 9.5 FEET...NO FLOODING FROM MOGUL
TO HWY 395...INCLUDING RENO. THIS IS MAXIMUM SAFE CHANNEL CAPACITY
BELOW U.S. HWY 395...ABOUT 6000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND /CFS/.
RELEASES FROM PROSSER...STAMPEDE...AND BOCA RESERVOIRS ARE CUT BY
THE U.S. WATER MASTER TO MAINTAIN LESS THAN 6000 CFS AT RENO.
FOR THE TRUCKEE RIVER AT VISTA...MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST. A
MAXIMUM STAGE OF 16.5 FEET IS FORECAST FOR EARLY MONDAY MORNING...WHICH IS
1.5 FEET ABOVE THE 15.0 FOOT FLOOD STAGE. THE STAGE WILL RISE ABOVE
THE 15.0 FOOT FLOOD STAGE AFTER MIDNIGHT MONDAY. AT 7 PM SUNDAY THE
STAGE WAS 12.5 FEET. THIS IS 2.5 FEET BELOW THE 15.0 FOOT FLOOD
STAGE.
AT 16.5 FEET...MINOR FLOODING HWY 395 TO NIXON...INCLUDING TRUCKEE
MEADOWS... SPARKS...LOCKWOOD...TRACY AND WADSWORTH. FROM HWY 395 TO
MC CARRAN...RENO HILTON RV PARK...TRUCKEE BIKE PATH...PARKS ALONG
RIVER BEGIN FLOODING. BELOW MC CARRAN...SPARKS INDUSTRIAL AREA...
UNIVERSITY FARMS...BOYNTON SLOUGH...ROSEWOOD LAKES GOLF COURSE...
TRUCKEE BIKE PATH FLOODED UP TO A FOOT DEEP. SOME HOMES IN WADSWORTH
BECOME INACCESSIBLE...BUT NOT FLOODED. NEAR 8000 CFS.
FOR THE TRUCKEE RIVER AT WADSWORTH...AT 5 PM THE STAGE WAS 11.6 FEET
AND FALLING...WHICH IS 1.4 FEET BELOW THE UNOFFICIAL 13.0 FOOT FLOOD
STAGE. THE STAGE IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FALLING THROUGH SUNDAY
NIGHT TO NEAR 11 FEET. IT IS THEN EXPECTED TO RISE TO NEAR 13.5
FEET...0.5 FOOT ABOVE THE UNOFFICIAL FLOOD STAGE...BY MONDAY
AFTERNOON. MINOR ADDITIONAL FLOODING IS EXPECTED.
FOR THE TRUCKEE RIVER AT NIXON...AT 7 PM THE STAGE WAS 10.6 FEET AND
FALLING...WHICH IS 0.1 FOOT ABOVE THE UNOFFICIAL 10.5 FOOT FLOOD
STAGE. IT IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FALLING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING TO
NEAR 9.0 FEET. IT IS THEN EXPECTED TO RISE TO NEAR 11.0 FEET...0.5
FOOT ABOVE THE UNOFFICIAL 10.5 FOOT FLOOD STAGE...BY MONDAY NIGHT.
MINOR ADDITIONAL FLOODING IS EXPECTED.
THESE RIVER FORECASTS ARE BASED ON FORECAST RAINFALL AND TEMPERATURE
CONDITIONS AT TIME OF ISSUANCE. IF ACTUAL CONDITIONS VARY FROM THESE
FORECASTS...RIVER CONDITIONS WILL VARY ACCORDINGLY. RIVER FORECASTS
INCLUDE CURRENT AND PLANNED RESERVOIR RELEASES.
BE ALERT FOR HEAVY RAIN UPSTREAM OF YOUR LOCATION WHICH COULD CAUSE
ADDITIONAL RAPID RISES ON RIVERS AND STREAMS. VALUABLES SHOULD
MOVED AWAY FROM AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING. NEVER DRIVE THROUGH
FLOODED AREAS. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS OF EMERGENCY OFFICIALS.
STAY TUNED TO LATEST DEVELOPMENTS BY LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER
RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE.
REAL-TIME STAGE AND FLOW INFORMATION FOR MANY RIVERS AND STREAMS IN
EASTERN CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA IS AVAILABLE FROM USGS ON THE INTERNET
AT: HTTP://WATERDATA.USGS.GOV/NWIS/ ...IN LOWER CASE.
THE NEXT FORECAST UPDATE FOR THESE LOCATIONS WILL BE ISSUED MONDAY
MORNING.
January 2, 2006 - Rain that has been
falling most of the night contributed to higher rises on the Truckee and Carson
Rivers but little change in flooding prospects were noted. Rain in the
valley changed over to snow with several inches falling. In Reno, a couple
of inches of snow fell while in Carson City, the area received 3-6 inches before
turning over to light rain again. Flows from the previous storm are now
moving downstream. Below is a statement from the Reno National Weather Service
for the current river situation:
WGUS85 KREV 022318 CCA
FLSREV
NVC001-005-019-029-031-510-CAC003-035-031800-
FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
235 PM PST MON JAN 2 2006
...A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE MAINSTEM CARSON RIVER IN
LYON COUNTIES NEVADA...AND FOR THE PIT RIVER IN LASSEN COUNTY
CALIFORNIA.
...FOR THE MAINSTEM CARSON RIVER...DOWNSTREAM OF DAYTON TO LAHONTAN
RESERVOIR...MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
THROUGH 10 AM TUESDAY MORNING.
FOR THE PIT RIVER IN LASSEN COUNTY...INCLUDING BIEBER AND NUBIEBER
...MODERATE FLOODING IS FORECAST THROUGH THURSDAY.
FLOODING SHOULD END ON THE CARSON RIVER ABOVE LAHONTAN RESERVOIR BY
LATE TUESDAY MORNING...AND ON THE PIT RIVER IN LASSEN COUNTY BY
THURSDAY.
FOLLOWING ARE THE FORECASTS FOR THE CARSON RIVER...
FOR THE CARSON RIVER NEAR CARSON CITY...AT 2 PM THE STAGE WAS 8.6
FEET. THIS IS 1.4 FEET BELOW FLOOD STAGE. THE RIVER IS EXPECTED TO
FALL FURTHER TONIGHT. NO FLOODING IS FORECAST.
FOR THE CARSON RIVER AT DAYTON...AT 2 PM THE STAGE WAS 21.0 FEET AND
SLOWLY FALLING. THIS IS NEAR THE 21.0 FOOT UNOFFICIAL FLOOD STAGE.
MODERATE FLOODING IS OCCURRING. IT IS EXPECTED TO DROP BELOW FLOOD
STAGE THIS EVENING
FOR THE CARSON RIVER AT FORT CHURCHILL...AT 2 PM THE RIVER WAS AT
11.7 FEET AND SLOWLY FALLING. THIS IS 1.7 FOOT ABOVE THE UNOFFICIAL
10.0 FOOT FLOOD STAGE. THE RIVER IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO FALL TO
NEAR 10.0 FEET BY 10 AM THURSDAY MORNING. MAJOR FLOODING IS
EXPECTED. IT IS THEN EXPECTED TO RECEDE TO BELOW FLOOD LEVELS AFTER
10 AM THURSDAY MORNING.
FOLLOWING ARE THE FORECASTS FOR THE PIT RIVER...
FOR THE PIT RIVER NEAR CANBY CALIFORNIA...AT 2 PM MONDAY THE STAGE
WAS 8.1 FEET AND SLOWLY FALLING. THIS IS 0.4 FEET BELOW THE
UNOFFICIAL FLOOD STAGE. AT CANBY...THE RIVER IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
TO FALL SLOWLY BUT REMAIN NEAR FLOOD STAGE THROUGH THIS EVENING.
IT IS THEN EXPECTED TO RECEDE TO BELOW UNOFFICIAL FLOOD STAGE BY
LATE TUESDAY.
AT BEIBER AND NUBEIBER IN LASSEN COUNTY...THE RIVER WAS NEAR FLOOD
LEVELS ON MONDAY AFTERNOON. IT IS NOT EXPECTED TO FALL TO BELOW
FLOOD LEVELS UNTIL THURSDAY. MODERATE TO SIGNIFICANT FLOODING IS
EXPECTED IN BEIBER AND NUBEIBER AND THROUGHOUT NORTHWEST LASSEN
COUNTY THROUGH THURSDAY.
THESE RIVER FORECASTS ARE BASED ON FORECAST RAINFALL AND TEMPERATURE
CONDITIONS AT TIME OF ISSUANCE. IF ACTUAL CONDITIONS VARY FROM THESE
FORECASTS...RIVER CONDITIONS WILL VARY ACCORDINGLY. RIVER FORECASTS
INCLUDE CURRENT AND PLANNED RESERVOIR RELEASES.
VALUABLES SHOULD MOVED AWAY FROM AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING. NEVER
DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED AREAS. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS OF EMERGENCY
OFFICIALS. STAY TUNED TO LATEST DEVELOPMENTS BY LISTENING TO NOAA
WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE.
REAL-TIME STAGE AND FLOW INFORMATION FOR MANY RIVERS AND STREAMS IN
EASTERN CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA IS AVAILABLE FROM USGS ON THE INTERNET
AT: HTTP://WATERDATA.USGS.GOV/NWIS/ ...IN LOWER CASE.
THE NEXT FORECAST UPDATE FOR THESE LOCATIONS WILL BE ISSUED BY 10 AM
TUESDAY.
Local Radar Images of the the 2005/2006 New Years Event
12/31/05 0324Z SACRAMENTO RADAR
12/31/05 0634Z SACRAMENTO RADAR
12/31/05 0646Z SACRAMENTO RADAR
12/31/05 1903Z SACRAMENTO RADAR
Carson City 2005/2006 Flood Pictures
Conclusion:
Flooding damage while estimated in the millions of dollars in the Reno/Carson City area was minimized due to better preparation after 1996/1997 event. While this event was not as extreme as the 1997 event since low elevation snow pack was lacking, precipitation totals on the eastern Sierra were greater. If low elevation snow pack was present, this event could have been catastrophic.
For the local area, the amount of rain that fell during the month of December was more than the average for an entire year. A total of 10.67 inches fell during the month of December in Carson City. Carson City so far in January 2006 has received 1.68 inches of rain for the month. Again this is more than the average for the month of January with more precipitation possible.
Robert Sandberg - local Carson City weather spotter.