Nevada
March blizzard strands vehicles, and saves Nevada winter • Nevada Current
Powerful storm activity throughout the Sierra Nevada in early March changed the water supply outlook for Nevada in a matter of days, according to federal resource managers.
Following a four-day blizzard that started on Leap Day, snowpack percentages in the eastern Sierra — a major water source for the Truckee River — jumped by a record 30%, increasing snow water content throughout its range by about 6.9 inches on average between February 29 and March 4.
By the end of the intense blizzard, all basins across Nevada had above normal snowpacks for the first time this winter, according to a winter outlook report by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Federal data sites in Nevada recorded between 4-10 inches of additional snow water content to the snowpack in the Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Carson and Walker basins over the four days.
Dramatic high winds and dense snow also left vehicles stranded, and forced the closure of interstate highways between Nevada and California. Based on federal data, the intensity of the four-day blizzard was also among the strongest on record.
Since 1981, only 16 other storms have added more than 6 inches of snow water content to the region’s snowpack over a four-day stretch. Only three storms recorded since 1981 had a higher four-day gain than this year’s blizzard.
Before the four-day blizzard reached the Sierra Nevada, Nevada’s basins were at 44% median snowpack. However, two atmospheric rivers in February and the blizzard helped the Carson and Walker basins snowpacks surpass their normal springtime peak snow water amounts. The Lake Tahoe and Truckee basins still need 2-3 inches of additional snow water to reach their peaks.
Southern Nevada also benefited from an increase in snow and precipitation over the Great Basin last month. Snowpack in the Upper Colorado Basin — a major water source for the Colorado River and Lake Mead — is at 105% of its normal snowpack percentage. Precipitation for the Upper Colorado Basin is at 102% of normal.
The Spring Mountains in southern Nevada, a major source of water for the Amargosa River in Nye County, have also surpassed their median peak snowpack amounts for this time of year.
Spring is getting closer, but there’s still about a month left until the typical snow peak for Colorado and Nevada snowpacks, meaning there’s still time for things to change. Despite a slow start, this winter has produced a steady increase in snowpack percentages each month so far, leaving climatologists and state resource managers optimistic for a good water year in Nevada.
‘Whiplash years’
“We have two big assets right now. One is that we still have some carryover benefit from last winter in terms of reservoirs,” said Thomas Albright, the interim Nevada State Climatologist. “And now we’re going to have more in this snowpack than we thought we were going to have a couple of weeks ago.”
Last year’s record snowpack has continued to buffer reservoir water storage in Nevada, reducing supply concerns and surface water drought issues into 2024.
Dan McEvoy, a researcher for the Western Regional Climate Center, warned that the Sierra Nevada hasn’t experienced “an extended wet period that lasts for more than two years in a row” in the last century.
“Since 2000, we’ve had more whiplash years, with some of the wettest and driest on record in the last ten years alone, but not forming consecutive trends,” said McEvoy. “We do, however, see a continuous trend in our higher-than-average winter temperatures due to our changing climate.”
Nevada’s winter this year has been consistently warmer than average, a trend that’s likely to continue, said Albright, the interim state climatologist. In December, Reno experienced its third warmest December on record. In January, Nevada saw record high daily temperatures across the state, including in Reno and Las Vegas. And based on climate station data, February temperatures in Nevada were, on average, 1.44 F above normal.
That may not bode well for Nevada’s snowpack as warmer spring and summer months arrive. Heat waves can easily shrink snowpack, a natural water storage system, melting snow before it can be used in the drier summer.
“Nevada has been solidly warm this whole winter,” Albright said. “That may influence the rate of snowmelt and deplete our snowpack a little bit faster than normal,
The four-day blizzard brought Nevada cooler temperatures in early March, but throughout the central and eastern U.S. temperatures were near or above normal, according to a March National Water and Climate Center report. In the Midwest and Great Lakes, temperatures were 10 to 15 degrees warmer than normal. A few spots in the Great Lakes area were even warmer, with readings at 15-20 degrees above normal.
“This year in particular globally has been a really, really warm year. And the ocean temperatures are kind of off the charts,” Albright said. “That’s something to be concerned about. All I see in the outlooks is a continued expectation of warmer weather, above normal weather.”
Top performances
Girls basketball
– Sakaara Ashton, Las Vegas: The freshman nailed three 3-pointers while racking up 22 points, five rebounds and four assists in the Wildcats’ 75-54 win over Tech.
– Jaslyn Jefferson, Shadow Ridge: The senior compiled 40 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in the Mustangs’ 86-5 victory over Desert Pines.
– Jasmine Ponce, Cimarron-Memorial: The junior collected 20 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks to lead the Spartans past Doral Academy 60-30.
– Jordynn Riggins, Losee: The freshman scored 22 points to help the Lions cruise to a 75-3 win over Rancho.
– Delyla Ross, Sunrise Mountain: The senior had 23 points as the Miners rolled to a 56-14 victory over Chaparral.
— Morgan White, Del Sol: The senior posted 17 points to lead the Dragons past Green Valley 67-32.
– Caylyn Young, Faith Lutheran: The sophomore scored 17 points as the Crusaders defeated Legacy 62-32.
Flag football
– Carly Martell, Sky Pointe: The sophomore carried 15 times for 117 yards to help the Eagles down Cheyenne 21-0.
– Andrea Mitchell, Centennial: The junior had 10 solo tackles to lead the defense in the Bulldogs’ 6-0 victory over Canyon Springs.
– Patricia Monacelli, Cadence: The junior caught four passes for 66 yards and a touchdown, and nabbed two interceptions on defense to help lift the Cougars over Boulder City 6-0.
– Danielle Morales, Arbor View: The junior had 69 rushing yards for a touchdown and 38 receiving yards for another score in the Aggies’ 38-13 win over Coronado.
– Charlice Weingarten, Bishop Gorman: The sophomore logged three sacks and two more tackles to help the Gaels beat Foothill 38-18.
Scores
Boys basketball
Beaver Dam 47, Adelson School 32
Boulder City 63, Coral Academy 19
Girls basketball
Basic 47, Sloan Canyon 10
Beaver Dam d. Adelson, forfeit
Bishop Gorman 73, Coronado 29
Cimarron-Memorial 60, Doral Academy 30
Clark 55, Spring Valley 37
Coral Academy 47, Boulder City 45
Del Sol 67, Green Valley 32
Democracy Prep 62, Liberty 29
Faith Lutheran 62, Legacy 32
Las Vegas 75, Tech 54
Losee 75, Rancho 3
Mater East 62, Eldorado 13
Moapa Valley 54, Amplus Academy 6
Pahrump Valley 50, Cristo Rey 17
Palo Verde 44, Canyon Springs 43
Shadow Ridge 86, Desert Pines 5
Sierra Vista 60, Desert Oasis 48
Sunrise Mountain 56, Chaparral 14
Virgin Valley d. The Meadows, forfeit
Western 57, Durango 37
Flag football
Arbor 38, Coronado 13
Bishop Gorman 38, Foothill 18
Bonanza 18, Amplus 14
Cadence 6, Boulder City 0
Centennial 6, Canyon Springs 0
Clark 26, Western 6
Desert Oasis 48, Basic 6
Eldorado 30, Desert Pines 19
Legacy 33, Doral Academy 6
Mojave 8, Cimarron-Memorial 0
Sierra Vista 18, Durango 0
Sky Pointe 21, Cheyenne 0
Spring Valley 34, Democracy Prep 0
Virgin Valley 27, Las Vegas 26
Jeff Wollard Review-Journal
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Nevada’s unemployment rate for December remains unchanged at 5.2%, according to the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.
The figures show no improvement from the previous month.
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In a breakdown of the state’s cities, Las Vegas also reported a 5.2% unemployment rate, while Reno and Carson City both recorded a rate of 4%.
Supposed sightings of alien aircraft and extraterrestrial life are synonymous with the state of Nevada. A new group in Southern Nevada hopes to offer a glimpse into the unsolved mysteries of the universe with its first event this weekend.
“I spend a lot of hours out there videotaping and to see that so many people want to come out and join me, it’s like a party,” said local ufologist Joseph De La Torre, better known as the Pahrump Alien Guy.
The Southern Nevada Ufology Group will host its first meeting on Saturday, Jan. 31, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. During the event, attendees will learn how to take photos of UFOs from the Pahrump Alien Guy himself. The meeting will take place at the Pahrump Nugget Hotel and Casino in the building’s gravel lot near the bowling parking area. Attendees will park in the bowling parking lot.
“I ended up learning to look into the skies here over Pahrump and I read an article where it said that Pahrump is in the Area 51 excursion zone,” the Pahrump Alien Guy told the Pahrump Valley Times.
Participants are encouraged to arrive with a tripod for their phone in order to properly take photos. Food, beverages and camping chairs are also welcome, but the Southern Nevada Ufology Group asks guests to please clean up after themselves once the event is over. If you’re interested in joining Saturday’s meeting, you must RSVP by contacting southernnevadaufologygroup@gmail.com to confirm your attendance and to receive more information. Children are not allowed at the event.
“I think that it’s going to be very successful,” the Pahrump Alien Guy enthused.
The Pahrump Alien Guy hosted the inaugural Pahrump Alien Conference in October 2025, a gathering that saw a large turnout of locals, visitors from Las Vegas, and other tourists passing through Nye County.
“We didn’t think it was going to be that successful,” the Pahrump Alien Guy shared.
During that event, UFO photos from the Pahrump Alien Guy’s database were showcased, local vendors sold alien-themed goods and featured guests spoke about their work in ufology.
Two of the event’s featured speakers were Mike Bara, a New York Times best-selling author and frequent guest on the History Channel’s long-standing series “Ancient Aliens,” and Marysol Rezanov of the Nevada chapter of Citizens for Disclosure, a UFO information disclosure advocacy organization.
The Pahrump Alien Guy, his girlfriend Brid’Jette Whaley, Bara and Rezanov then founded the Southern Nevada Ufology Group. The group plans to host future meetings in other locations around Southern Nevada.
The Pahrump Alien Guy further explained that it was Bara and Rezanov’s idea to create a new skywatching group in Southern Nevada. Bara and Rezanov will be at Saturday’s meeting.
“We call it ‘Southern Nevada’ Ufology Group because it’s not just Pahrump,” the Pahrump Alien Guy said. “It’s all over southern Nevada.”
The Pahrump Alien Guy has a YouTube channel where he shows videos and photos he’s taken of UFOs. Watch the Pahrump Alien Guy’s videos on YouTube at youtube.com/@pahrumpalienguy.
Contact reporter Elijah Dulay at edulay@pvtimes.com
Southern Nevada Ufology Group’s first meeting
■ Saturday, Jan. 31, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
■ Pahrump Nugget Hotel and Casino located at 681 South Highway 160
■ Attendees will learn how to take photos of UFOs. Guests are are encouraged to bring a tripod for their phone.
■ To attend you must RSVP by contacting southernnevadaufologygroup@gmail.com
■ No children allowed
■ Park in the bowling parking lot, meeting will be held in neighboring gravel lot
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