Lake Tahoe, Calif./Nev. – As Hurricane Hillary picks up pace on her path to the South Western states the Reno National Weather Service warns those in the area of Washoe County, Nev. to seek shelter in a sturdy structure and to be aware of 40MPH winds and pea size hail. 

Tyler Salas Meteorologist with the Reno National Weather Service told the Tribune “The afternoon thunderstorms, rain and lightning are typical for this past week in the region”.  

The Tahoe Basin, Reno and Carson City the periods of moderate to heavy rainfall Sunday through Tuesday with the majority of the impact from the inbound hurricane being felt early Sunday afternoon. 

“By the time it gets to us it’ll be more of a tropical storm, with lots of moisture,” Salas said and continued “Not to say we won’t have thunder and lightning but there is more of a hazard of considerable amounts of rainfall.” 

In excess of 2 inches of rainfall is expected south of the basin, which will put Mono, Southern Wine and Mineral counties on Flood Watch Sunday afternoon through Monday night.

Salas told the Tribune travelers can expect upwards of an inch of rainfall along the I80 corridor; a considerable amount can be expected on the roadways.

“Keep it slow and take plenty of time to get where you’re going follow normal safety tips for driving in the rain, If you’re recreating this weekend, have multiple ways to get weather updates and alerts to stay aware of flooding and hazards to avoid, or get to safety,” Salas advised.