The warmer weather is back just in time for the start of May, but the wind is here too. Spring can be a windy time of year as temperatures change, and strong cold fronts moves through. It is also possible for the Washoe Zephyr to kick in if it’s warm enough.
An area of low pressure will continue to move through the region Thursday evening, bringing showers to the north, and wind elsewhere. A few thunderstorms are possible too. Wind speeds will be lighter Friday, with gusts only in the teens to about 20mph. Strong winds are not only annoying, but they can also make allergies worse and cause blowing dust. A Blowing Dust Advisory is in place for the Western Nevada Basin and Range through 8 p.m. Thursday. This includes places like Fernley, Fallon, and Lovelock.
Blowing dust lowers visibility and can make travel dangerous. Visibility can lower suddenly, falling below one mile. The dust can come off the Carson Sink like in the satellite image below. The dust is shown in pink and is moving west to east-- west central Nevada has the best chance for blowing dust on Thursday.
Wind can also make allergies worse by blowing around all of the pollen and dust. According to pollen.com the pollen count is expected to stay in the medium high category for the next few days, but could be worse Monday because of more wind.
Dry air can also make allergies worse, and while we could see a few light showers close to the Oregon border Friday night into Saturday morning, the Truckee Meadows will stay dry. The pollen is mainly coming from trees right now.
Friday through Sunday will be nice with high temperatures near 70 degrees, and mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies. Winds will be light Friday, with gusts in the 20s over the weekend. Enjoy!
