The National Weather Service in Reno has issued a forecast indicating a chilly Halloween with current temperatures ranging from the mid-30s to mid-40s in Sierra communities, and upper 40s to mid-50s in western Nevada. Breezy west winds are causing wind chills in higher elevations to feel like the teens to low 30s. Light snow showers have already dusted the Sierra overnight, with accumulations between a trace and 4 inches.
A new storm system is set to arrive late Friday into Saturday afternoon, enhancing the chances for mountain snow and valley rain. Precipitation is expected to start in northeast California around 5-7 PM PDT and move into the Tahoe area by midnight. The best chances for accumulating precipitation in western Nevada will be from midnight to 8 AM PDT on Saturday. Snowfall rates in the eastern Sierra could reach up to 1 inch per hour, with snow levels starting at 6,500 feet and dropping to 5,000-6,500 feet during the event.
A Winter Weather Advisory will take effect for the eastern Sierra at 5 PM PDT on Friday, extending to Mono County at 11 PM PDT. After this storm passes, drier and cooler conditions will dominate into early next week, with the possibility of a reinforcing cold front bringing additional shower chances by Tuesday night.