Remote Surveillance Trailer in Reno, NV

Snow is returning to the Sierra, with a winter weather advisory taking effect late Monday, Feb. 9, and continuing through Wednesday across the Tahoe basin and northeast California.

It comes after roughly a month without a significant winter storm in the region.

Hazardous travel conditions are expected at times Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 10–11, as gusty winds and accumulating snow affect Sierra passes and higher elevations, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

In northwestern Nevada valleys, including Reno, most precipitation is expected to fall as rain. Snow levels could briefly dip near 5,000 feet overnight, meaning a few flakes may mix in early Tuesday, but significant snow in the valleys isn’t expected.

How much snow is expected in the Sierra and Tahoe

Snow totals through Wednesday are expected to vary widely by elevation, according to NWS Reno. A winter weather advisory is in effect from 10 p.m. Monday to 4 p.m. Wednesday:

Winds could gust up to 35 mph in the Tahoe basin, with stronger gusts reaching 65 to 75 mph along the ridges. Choppy conditions and waves of 1 to 3 feet are expected on Lake Tahoe, where officials advise small watercraft to remain off the water.

The midweek system is expected to taper off by Thursday, but forecasters are monitoring a stronger storm that could bring more significant snowfall to the Sierra heading into Washington’s Birthday weekend.

Reno 7-day forecast, Feb. 9-15

Lake Tahoe 7-day forecast, Feb. 9-15

What's the weather on Donner Pass, I-80?

Drivers traveling over Donner Pass on Interstate 80 should prepare for winter driving conditions from late Monday night through Wednesday afternoon.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for elevations above 5,500 feet from 10 p.m. Monday to 4 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento. Forecasters expect 3 to 6 inches of snow above 5,500 feet, with 8 to 12 inches above 6,000 feet and locally up to 18 inches on the highest peaks.

The heaviest snowfall is expected Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning, with snow levels rising to around 6,000 to 7,000 feet Tuesday before dropping back near 5,500 feet by Wednesday, keeping snow possible near pass level.

Chain controls and travel delays are possible along I-80, and mountain travel could become very difficult at times.

Nevada-California highway travel

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - Reno is experiencing one of the warmest starts of winter on record, according to Nevada State Climatologist Dr. Baker Perry.

“In Reno, we’ve had an average temperature since December 1st of 40.9 degrees, which is 4.6 degrees above normal, and that’s the warmest start to the climatological winter,” says Dr. Perry. “It’s also the warmest start to the hydrological year since October 1st, we’re 3.1 degrees above normal.”

But precipitation looks like it’s staying above normal, according to Dr. Perry’s observations.

The pattern mirrors last winter, when the northern Nevada and Sierra regions also saw a slow start to the snow season. While visible snow may seem scarce compared to previous years, Mother Nature has delivered above-average precipitation overall.

“One and a half inches, almost one and a half inches above normal, 1.45 inches,” said Dr. Perry. “We’ve had 4.58 inches of total precipitation at the airport, and since December 1st we’re 0.26 inches above normal.”

That being said, if the region continues to stay dry, without more snow, we could see negative impacts to our snowpack.

“If we keep it dry and warm over the next couple weeks and into February, then were going to start having much more concern about the state of the snowpack,” says Dr. Perry.

Dr. Perry also says we have also broken a few other records this winter:

“We had our latest first freeze in Reno, that was on November the 19th, and we’ve also now broken a record for the latest first measurable snowfall in Reno, which didn’t occur until January the 8th^h,” says Dr. Perry.

Dry Pattern Expected to Continue through end of January

A persistent dry weather pattern is forecast to dominate at least through the end of January, offering little relief from the mild temperatures.

“The last two weeks have been very dry and a bit above normal but not much, and that’s going to be the pattern we’re going to stay in for at least the next week and possibly longer,” Perry said.

However, the climatologist cautioned that the current conditions are not unusual for the region.

“The last two weeks have been very dry and a bit above normal but not much and that’s going to be the pattern we’re going to stay in for at least the next week and possibly longer,” says Dr. Perry.

But even so, Dr. Perry says fluctuation between dry spells and active storm systems is typical of Nevada’s weather patterns, suggesting residents should remain prepared for conditions to shift.

“The characteristic of our climate in this part of the world we can have these extended dry periods and then we can have a very active storm pattern like we had in late December and early January,” says Dr. Perry.

The Geminids, the second-to-last meteor shower of the year, are expected to hit peak activity tomorrow night, Dec. 13, into the morning of Dec. 14. Reno's forecast is expected to be clear, providing an unobstructed view of what is considered one of the best meteor showers of the year.

That's because, among professional and amateur astronomers alike, the Geminids are considered to be the cream of the crop. The cosmic display is famed for its strong, bright and colorful fireballs that blaze across the sky at speeds reaching about 21 miles per second.

While a waning crescent moon could interfere with the shower's visibility in 2025, you should still have good chances of catching the whizzing meteors when the Geminids peak.

Whether Renoites want to see if they can peek out their windows at the upcoming astronomical event or if they want to travel to visit one of Nevada's DarkSky locations, here's everything Northern Nevadans need to know about the Geminid meteor shower, how to view it and what astronomical events are coming up before the end of 2025.

When is the Geminid meteor shower?

The Geminid meteor shower became active Dec. 4 and is expected to remain so until at least Dec. 17, according to the American Meteor Society.

Geminid meteor shower 2025: When to watch for peak activity

In 2025, the Geminid meteor shower is set to peak between Saturday, Dec. 13, and Sunday, Dec. 14, according to the Planetary Society.

The best time to see meteors is typically between midnight and pre-dawn hours. However, the Geminids are considered to be one of the best opportunities for young stargazers since the shower can start as early as 9 p.m. locally, according to NASA.

Visit the website TimeAndDate.com to find the best times and viewing directions for your location.

How many meteors will be visible? What to know about shower rate

When the Geminids are most active, stargazers have the opportunity to witness a dizzying 120 meteors per hour under the right weather conditions.

But it’s not just the quantity of meteors that makes the Geminids famous, but also their quality. The meteors produced by the Geminids' parent asteroid have a reputation for being colorful, sometimes appearing as yellowish streaks.

While it is now one of the year's strongest meteor showers, the Geminids didn't start out that way, according to NASA. When the shower first began appearing in the mid-1800s, only 10 to 20 meteors could be seen per hour.

Could the moon interfere with Geminids?

In 2025, the moon will be 30% full and in a waning crescent phase during the peak of the Geminid meteor shower. The moon will rise by 2 a.m. local time, after which spectators can still have success spotting meteors by facing west to keep the moon and its light at their backs, according to the American Meteor Society.

How to watch Geminids: Tips for seeing streaking meteors

The Geminids are named after the constellation Gemini because the meteors seem to emerge – or radiate – from the same area in the sky.

But astronomers caution that the radiant is not a good guide for where stargazers should look to view the zipping meteors, which should be visible across the night sky around the globe.

Here are some general viewing tips from NASA:

It should take less than 30 minutes for your eyes to adapt so that you can see streaking meteors.

Want to find a dark area near you? DarkSky International is a U.S. nonprofit that maintains a list of designated dark sky communities around the world, including 166 in the United States.

There are two DarkSky locations in Nevada: one in Great Basin National Park and one at the Massacre Rim Wildlife Study Area.

Can you see the meteor shower in Nevada?

The National Weather Service forecast for Reno calls for clear skies during the peak Saturday night, Dec. 13, providing an unobstructed view of the Geminids.

What causes the Geminids? Are meteor showers 'shooting stars?'

Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through dusty debris trails left by comets and other space objects as they orbit the sun.

The debris – space rocks known as meteoroids – collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA.

Those resulting fireballs, better known as "shooting stars," are meteors. If meteoroids survive their trip to Earth without burning up in the atmosphere, they are called meteorites, NASA says.

Unlike most meteor showers, the Geminid meteor shower doesn't originate from a comet, but from an asteroid.

Astronomers theorize that the asteroid, 3200 Phaethon, could be what’s known as a “dead comet” or “rock comet” — a rocky core that has lost the ices and gases that typically give comets their tails, according to NASA. The small asteroid, which is little more than 3 miles in diameter, approaches so close to the sun that it was named for the son of the sun-god Helios, who in Greek mythology lost control of his father's chariot and set the Earth ablaze.

What other meteor showers are happening in 2025?

Just one more meteor shower is due to peak before the end of 2025. The Ursids are due to become active between Dec. 16-26, peaking Dec. 21-22.

The Quadrantids will also begin in 2025 on Dec. 26, but the shower will not peak until Jan. 3, 2026.

Can I see the Geminids near Reno?

Though there are parts of Reno likely dark enough to see the Geminids, there are destinations nearby that provide darker skies and, as a result, better views of the meteor shower peak. Here are a few:

Ski resorts are scrambling to adapt as shorter, more unpredictable winters shrink their operating seasons and leave chairlifts idle for months at a time. The solution? Mountain bike trails. By transforming ski hills into summer riding destinations, resorts can generate year-round revenue while keeping their facilities in use long after the snow melts.

Unfortunately, most bike parks take several years to develop, requiring ample time to plan, permit, and build. Many are built in phases, taking upwards of a decade to complete.

That’s why it was amazing to discover that Sky Tavern, which has long been a winter recreation destination for those near Lake Tahoe and Reno, has built a top-tier bike park in less than four years. To learn how it accomplished this feat, Singletracks spoke with Rick Reed, the Marketing Director and Bike Park Operations Manager for Sky Tavern, and Steve Wentz, a Partner with Momentum Trail Concepts.

For over 75 years, Sky Tavern (a non-profit sports education facility) has been providing ski lessons to youth regardless of their income. It has taught over 125,000 youth to ski under the guidance of adult volunteers.

The program, which relies primarily on donations for funding, offers scholarships so that everyone has access to winter recreation regardless of their income. However, until recently, Sky Tavern had no summer programming and was totally vacant once ski season ended.

Some locals had built a few rogue trails on the property, which is owned by the City of Reno, but there were no official mountain bike trails, Reed told Singletracks.

A new chairman with a passion for mountain biking pushed for trails at the property

When Yale Spina became the chairman of the board of directors, he brought with him a love of mountain biking and a determination to bring the sport to Sky Tavern. That’s when Reed was hired to make Spina’s vision become a reality.

Reed has a passion for building trails for communities and a wealth of experience in the bike and outdoor industry, including work at FiveTen and contributions to another major mountain biking website. Sky Tavern already had an adaptive trail and a flow trail when he arrived, but nothing else.

Bringing in Wentz to build more trails and working on ways to bring the community to the park changed that. Reed started a bike skills program that primarily focused on youth and female riders. He also initiated the May Day and Party in the Sky events at the park, which draw big crowds at the beginning and end of every riding season.

The vision was to create a place where the community could come and hang out

One key advantage for Sky Tavern’s expansion is its land arrangement. “The City of Reno owns the land, and we have a long-term lease,” Reed explained. Being on this neutral public land has helped facilitate development. The property has 700 vertical feet of elevation and encompasses 143 acres. That makes it a great location for an integrated trail system suitable for every type of rider.

There is no shortage of support from the community, Reed said. “We live in an area that embraces outdoor recreation. We have seen tremendous growth in the last five years. There is a lot of demand for it, and people are willing to support us.”

It’s the community support that allowed Sky Tavern to build approximately 10 miles of trails, a pump track, a Strider bike track, a youth skills zone, and a progression skills zone in less than four years. Thanks to funds raised through donations and admission fees at special events, Sky Tavern was able to allocate several hundred thousand dollars over the past few years to building trails.

The trails are known for their quality and sustainability

Reed brought in Wentz and Momentum Trail Concepts to build the trails. “Not only is he an incredible builder, but he builds trails with sustainability in mind,” said Reed. That was important to Reed because Sky Tavern is dependent on volunteers for trail maintenance. Wentz had a philosophy of “build trails once and build them right.”

Wentz, along with his partner Matt Thompson, had already built a couple of proof-of-concept trails at Sky Tavern before Reed’s arrival, including the High Five Trail in 2020, a two-mile downhill flow trail created for adaptive riders. “When I made the trail, they asked what was next,” said Wentz. “I then started building one trail after another.”

The hill’s decomposing granite makes it highly susceptible to erosion, which created uncertainty about whether any trails built there would last. Without confidence in the trails’ longevity, there was little incentive to develop a comprehensive master plan or secure long-term funding.

Ultimately, Wentz showed he could build sustainable trails on the property that require little to no maintenance. He used a larger excavator with a five-foot track width to build the trails, using its heavier weight to help compact the soil. He also built the trails in a way that eliminated the need for drains.

Wentz’s work resulted in ten trails ranging from green to double black diamond. Four trails—High Five, Rick Sutherland, Easy Up, and Alleygator—feature adaptive-friendly options. Though not originally designed as an integrated system, the trails interconnect naturally, allowing riders to create their own routes from summit to base.

Sky Tavern’s Bike Park has a bright future ahead of it

The park will start offering a shuttle service in 2026. “The shuttle will take us to the next level,” said Reed. The park had the full support of the U.S. Forest Service, which fast-tracked the approval of the required permit, he said. The park needed a permit because the shuttle traverses Forest Service property to reach the top of the bike park.

Wentz hopes to continue expanding the trail system. “I want to piece together stuff to help people build up to the next level. I believe in a spectrum of blues and blacks, from light to medium to dark,” he said. He also plans to add more features to certain trails to help riders develop faster decision-making skills.

Whatever the future holds, Reed and Wentz’s efforts have made Sky Tavern a first-class bike park in a short span of time. The quality and variety of its trails rival some major parks, while providing the bike park experience to the community for free, asking only for donations.