Red flag warning for much of southern Nevada
RENO, Nev. (AP) — An unsettled cold front is blowing through Nevada this week, creating critical fire conditions near Las Vegas and a chance of snow in the upper elevations of the northern Sierra.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for much of southern Nevada through 8 p.m. Tuesday with southwest winds increasing to up to 30 mph (48 kph) and gusts to 45 mph (72 kph).
The service says the combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures will raise the risk of extreme fire behavior.
Unseasonably chilly conditions and a chance of rain are forecast in northern and western Nevada, with overnight lows near freezing in the mountains and upper 30s to mid-40s (2 to 8 Celsius) in the valleys.
There’s a chance of snow Wednesday night and early Thursday in the high Sierra and along the ridge lines west of Lake Tahoe. As much as 4 inches (10 cm) of snow is possible on unpaved surfaces mostly north of Susanville, California about an hour north of Reno.
Dry conditions are expected to return Friday with highs approaching 80 (26 C) Saturday along the Sierra’s eastern front.
