Warmer temperatures will thaw Holiday week

Western Nevada should thaw out quicker than a Thanksgiving turkey as temperatures climb into the high 40s this weekend.

National Weather Service specialist Bob Melrose said there will be few clouds on the horizon for Thanksgiving, though something may be brewing for the day after.

While it'll stay chilly in the mornings, high temperatures will reach 49 on Sunday and could be in the low 50s by Monday and Tuesday.

"It will be dry with a little chance of moisture after Thanksgiving," Melrose said. "There is a stagnant air mass over the area over the next few days with high pressure at the surface and aloft."

That bubble of high pressure will keep stormy weather at bay for the holiday week.

After a wet start, the winter looks like it will be colder and drier than usual, according to State Climatologist John James.

"That doesn't mean it's necessarily going to be dry - just drier than normal," James said.

James said it has been a long time since Northern Nevada has had a cold winter.

"It's been several years since we had a cold winter," James said. "Those 8-degree temperatures sure punctuate it."

James attributed last week's snowfall in Western Nevada to a "Tonopah low."

"It's always hard to take that first storm in November. It's been so warm, you get shocked out of your shoes by the snow," he said.

"It's kind of unusual to get so much snow in the valley compared to the mountains," he said. "Sometimes, these low pressure areas get in different positions. The storms out of the Pacific move across California and get held up in central Nevada. That's why it's called the 'Tonopah low.' Normally, the storm comes west to east. These came east to west."

That storm dropped nearly two feet of snow in Carson City, containing 1.95 inches of moisture.