Nevada

March blizzard strands vehicles, and saves Nevada winter • Nevada Current

Published

2 years ago

March 11, 2024

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.”

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Nevada

Rotten Tomatoes gives Cornish director’s new film unbelievable rating

Published

10 hours ago

April 26, 2026

Press Room

Rotten Tomatoes gives Cornish director’s new film unbelievable rating

The movie is screening in an unprecedented 125 cinemas nationwide from its opening night – a triumph for Cornwall’s hugely respected rising star director

A Cornish director’s latest film has been given an unbelievable rating by Rotten Tomatoes. Mark Jenkin, the writer and director behind Enys Men and Bait, releases his latest movie, Rose of Nevada, this month.

The 50-year-old is no stranger to good ratings with his biggest work to date, Bait, filmed in Cornwall, getting a 100 per cent rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. But his most recent work has just done something equally incredible with a 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes a day before its release date.

The movie, Rose of Nevada, is a British science fiction drama film written, edited, composed and directed by Mr Jenkin. It has been incredibly well received with critics describing it as “terrifically atmospheric” and “superbly visceral filmmaking”.

Hilary A White, writing for the Irish Independent, says: “Jenkin leaves plenty of space between story and audience, compiling a tale that feels cobbled together from stained Polaroids, dream snatches and fleeting glimpses.”

Deborah Ross, writing for The Independent, had this to say: “Though it’s about how we carry the past and what can be lost in a single generation, the film is never nostalgic or sentimental. It’s not Back to the Future. It’s terrifically atmospheric, thrumming with foreboding and dread.”

The movie, which was released in UK and Irish cinemas on Friday (April 24), tells the story of a mysterious boat that returns to a village 30 years after vanishing. Two men join its crew, hoping for better fortune. After one voyage, they find themselves transported back in time, mistaken for the original crew.

Rose of Nevada is screening in 125 cinemas nationwide from its opening night, including all 10 of the Merlin chain sites in the South West, including Bodmin, Falmouth, Helston, Penzance, Redruth and St Ives.

BFI Distribution has confirmed big screen showings in another 70-plus cinemas a little later. The spread is from the Shetland Islands in the North, to Jersey (Channel Islands) in the South, to Triskel in Eire in the West to Broadstairs in Kent in the East.

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Nevada

Special Olympics Nevada’s Vegas Plunge returns with superhero theme at Cowabunga Bay

Published

22 hours ago

April 26, 2026

Press Room

Special Olympics Nevada’s Vegas Plunge returns with superhero theme at Cowabunga Bay

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Special Olympics Nevada invited community members to make a splash for inclusion at the Vegas Plunge at Cowabunga Bay on Saturday.

Organizers encouraged people to “hop, skip, run, jump, or dive” into the Henderson waterpark to support Special Olympics Nevada’s sports, education, leadership, and athlete health programs. While polar plunges are typically associated with colder climates, the event puts “a Vegas twist on this classic event.”

This year’s theme is “superheroes,” with participants encouraged to wear costumes. All plungers received a Vegas Plunge T-shirt, breakfast, tickets to Cowabunga Bay for the day, and the chance to support Special Olympics Nevada athletes.

The event was hosted by JayBee Beasley and included the fifth annual Rubber Duck Derby presented by Columbia Bank. Hundreds of rubber ducks raced around the lazy river, and attendees had a chance to win items including staycations, sporting events, golf packages, and jewelry.

Liz Volpe is the Developmental Director for Special Olympics Nevada and says the Vegas Plunge is their signature event and, “We create inclusive opportunities for individuals with intellectual needs.”

Proceeds from the Polar Plunge are expected to support year-round sports training and competition for more than 3,978 Special Olympics Nevada athletes statewide.

Organizers said contributions and involvement also help athletes achieve their goals, live healthier lives, and feel included in the community.

Gold sponsors included Greenberg Traurig and The Raiders. Silver sponsors were Columbia Bank and MoneyTree. Bronze sponsors included David and Gail Bowman, Jomsom Staffing Services, and Renewal by Andersen.

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Nevada

1 dead after crash on Interstate 15 in Las Vegas; northbound lanes closed

Published

1 day ago

April 25, 2026

Press Room

1 dead after crash on Interstate 15 in Las Vegas; northbound lanes closed

A pedestrian was killed in a fatal crash on Interstate 15 just north of Washington Avenue in Las Vegas on Friday night, the Nevada Highway Patrol said.

The crash, which happened just before 9:30 p.m. Friday, involved a pickup truck and a pedestrian the Highway Patrol’s trooper Shawn Haggstrom said in an email. The pedestrian, who was identified as a man, was confirmed dead at the scene.

The driver of the pickup truck stayed at the scene and was cooperating with investigators, the Highway Patrol said.

The crash has closed down all travel lanes of the northbound I-15 at Washington. The Interstate 11 ramp to the I-15 is also closed, Haggstrom said. All northbound I-15 traffic was being diverted off at the D Street off-ramp.

It wasn’t known how long the closures would last, Haggstrom said.

Contact Brett Clarkson at bclarkson@reviewjournal.com

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