Wind gusts hit 104 mph on Slide Mountain

High wind warnings are in effect throughout Northern Nevada and the eastern Sierra until about 4 p.m., the National Weather Service reports.

"We just hit 65 mph at our office here in north Reno," said meteorologist Scott McGuire, "and we had a gust of 104 mph on Slide Mountain."

The Nevada Highway Patrol said no accidents had been reported, but campers and trailers are prohibited through Washoe Valley.

Carson City resident Joe Childs of carsonweather.com recorded the wind blasts.

"My equipment saw a wind gust of 60 mph at 10:04 a.m.," said Childs. "In nine years of recording, this is only the second time with gust over 60 mph. The other occurrence was 61 mph in 2006."

The winds are being pushed into the area by a fast-moving Pacific storm with a strong cold front across western Nevada this afternoon, he said, and winds will continue to pick up as the day goes on.

McGuire said that it's difficult to predict precipitation on the lee side of the Sierra.

"The big story is that there will be snowfall in the Sierra. We have a winter storm warning in effect in the Sierra from 1-10 p.m. There will be a period of moderate-to-heavy snowfall from 2-8 p.m., and we're expecting 8-16 inches above 7,000 feet on the western side of the basin," McGuire said.

He said they expect 3-8 inches at lake level.

"It's fast-moving, so it limits the amount of snowfall we'll get," he said.