Wind and rain expected today as Sierra storm arrives

Up to a foot of snow was sufficient to douse fire restrictions across most of Nevada’s public lands.

The Bureau of Land Management, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and the Nevada Division of Forestry rescinded Tuesday the 2020 fire restrictions in the Silver State.

“Given the recent precipitation, higher humidity and cooler temperatures across Nevada, the risk of wildfire has started to gradually decline,” fire officials said. “However, wildfires can still occur during any time of year, and as always, the public should continue to recreate safely and responsibly.”

Despite the moisture, there is always the chance of wildfire, which may be exacerbated by a wind event forecast Friday morning.

The National Weather Service in Reno issued a wind advisory for Western Nevada from 10 a.m. Friday to 1 a.m. Saturday.

Forecasters expect southwest winds of 25-35 mph, gusting to 55 mph. Wind prone areas could see gusts of up to 75 mph with 100 mph gusts over the Sierra ridges.

Residents should tie down loose outdoor items and anticipate the chance of downed tree limbs and power outages.

In places where the snow survived the last few days, it could be picked up by the wind, reducing visibility and causing near blizzard conditions late Friday night.