More thunderstorms expected in afternoons

Although recently burned slopes above Carson City are vulnerable to heavy rains, afternoon thunderstorms forecast for the next few days are not expected to be large enough to cause major damage, forecasters say.

"Any of these storms could produce some flooding if you have any major rainfall, but they're all pretty much isolated," said Jessica Kielhorn of the National Weather Service In Reno.

Meteorologists are calling for a repeat of Thursday's weather for today and Saturday.

A slow-moving storm developed Thursday along Highway 395 from southern Lassen County in California to south of Topaz Lake.

Big, cold rain drops pelted Carson City. Although winds were mostly blowing around 10 mph, there were gusts up to 35 mph in the vicinity of passing thunderstorms.

Thursday's storm had mostly blown out by 6 p.m. The same is expected tonight.

"By late afternoon, we'll start to see some cumulous clouds, and then those will build up into some cumulonimbus, which would be the thunderstorms," Kielhorn said. "Then as the evening goes on, it will start to clear."

Isolated thunderstorms may continue into the evening, but skies should be mostly clear tonight.

For Saturday, forecasters are calling for more mostly sunny skies, giving way to a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.

Contact Karl Horeis at khoreis@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.