Lee Vining, California 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

946
FXUS65 KREV 172213
AFDREV

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Reno NV
213 PM PST Wed Dec 17 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

* Breezy winds and minor impacts to travel and recreation continue
  Thursday afternoon.

* Rain, and high elevation snow showers arrive on Friday with
  stronger winds renewing travel and recreation impacts.

* Unsettled weather continues this weekend and through Christmas
  with impacts to holiday travel increasingly likely.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

Gusty winds continue to surface across much of the region as 19z obs
reveal SW/W gusts of 30-40 mph across valley communities and 50-60
mph through wind prone areas such as I-580 near Washoe Valley. These
winds and subsequent impacts (e.g., choppy lakes, crosswind driving
hazards, bumpy flights) should last through the early afternoon
before subsiding between 3-5 PM PST. Ridge winds also weaken in the
afternoon, but remain elevated into the weekend so aviation impacts
may also persist. Light showers have all but diminished as of 11 AM
with only a few lingering showers in the Sierra, which should
completely taper in the afternoon.

Weak ridging will briefly displace the moisture feed to the north on
Thursday, confining shower activity to areas near the Oregon border.
Winds will become gusty again Thursday afternoon, but will be much
weaker than today`s winds as SW/W gusts reach 30-40 mph. The
exception to this will be from the Surprise Valley into N Washoe
County where 45-55 mph gusts will be common.

Friday offers our next opportunity for rain, high elevation snow,
and strong, gusty winds as moist, high-amplitude zonal flow
overspreads the region. As a result, shower coverage expands across
NE California into N Washoe County, and south towards the Tahoe
Basin on Friday where precip odds (70-90%) are greatest. Snow levels
will remain elevated (above 8500 feet), so snowfall will be confined
to highest Sierra peaks. Rain may sneak into the Sierra Front and W
NV Basin and Range, but chances are lower. Another round of strong
winds is in store on Friday with gusts possibly reaching 40-50 mph
across lower valleys. As such, expect renewed wind impacts to travel
and recreation on Friday.

While a brief lull in rain/snow is expected Friday night into
Saturday morning, minimal change in weather pattern will keep the
region under a belt of moisture through the weekend into early next
week. It`s increasingly likely that we`ll see periods of moderate to
heavy rainfall below 8000-9000 feet between Sunday and Monday, which
result in rising creeks and streams. Unsettled weather continues
around Christmas, and lower snow levels may yield snow impacts to
holiday travel in and across the Sierra.

-Salas

&&

.AVIATION...

Mountain wave turbulence and LLWS impacts will continue to be of
greatest concern through the afternoon before winds aloft and at the
surface weaken. W FL100 winds of 50-70 kts will continue to
overspread the region through 00z, which will likely be the period
of most intense mountain wave turbulence impacts. Meanwhile, SW/W
winds continue to gust to 20-30 kts at Tahoe terminals and 30-40 kts
at KMMH and KRNO-KCXP-KMEV until 00z before subsiding. A brief lull
in W FL100 winds (20-40 kts) should mitigate turbulence/LLWS issues
between 00z and 06z before increasing to 40-50 kts and becoming
northwesterly Thursday morning.

Shower activity continues to taper off, but residual low clouds may
obstruct surrounding terrain at KTRK and KTVL this afternoon.
Otherwise, dry weather and VFR conditions are expected until Friday.

-Salas

&&

.HYDROLOGY...

A series of warm and wet storms are expected rises in rivers and
streams through the area. Flood risk will be mitigated by limited
snow covered area and surface soil conditions that have dried
during the last several weeks of warm and dry conditions. That
said, some minor flooding of urban and poor drainage areas is
possible during any prolonged periods of high intensity rainfall.
Mainstem river flooding is not currently expected, but keep an eye
out for forecast updates. Additional storms mid next week could
cause additional rises and potential flood concerns, especially in
drainages with large mountain areas below about 6,000 feet. The
Susan river is one example to keep a close watch on next week.

-Bardsley

&&

.REV Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NV...Wind Advisory until 4 PM PST this afternoon NVZ002>005.

CA...Wind Advisory until 4 PM PST this afternoon CAZ070>073.

&&

$$