Last Updated: January 4, 2010 11:23am
Weather Conditions near Summit Lake
Winter weather conditions need watching. It rained many days in June 2009, and for a week in July 2009 it was extremely cold. In October there was light snow fall. Climate Change?
Winter weather conditions on the Summit Lake Reservation ("Reservation") are unpredictable. Take all reasonable precautions. The Tribe no longer has a desk satellite phone in the Tribal Office--it was not reliable.
Know what services are available and not available. The nearest Hospital with air transport capability to the Summit Lake Reservation is St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, Oregon, 800-621-5433--you must have the Longitude and Latitude readings for their helicopter to find you.
The federal government has several methods to let tribal members know what the weather conditions are.
For weather warnings, fire weather watch warnings and hazardous weather outlooks, in the Denio or rural areas near Summit Lake, the National Weather Service Forecast Office provides an excellent service, click here.
You can see what the real time temperature is at elevations above and below that of the Reservation's elevation, however, you will need a basic understanding of GMT or Greenwich Mean Time. GMT is eight (8) hours different from Nevada or Pacific Time. To see what time is for GMT, look at your watch or clock, and click here.
To see what the current temperature, dew point, relative humidity, wind speed, wind gusts are northwest of the Reservation on Catnip Mountain, click here. To see the same information for south of the Reservation at Dry Creek, south and below the Reservation, click here.
Remember the above weather advisories: thunder storms with heavy (or hard) rains (unu powma-wunu), lightening (tukwukwetze'pu) and thunder (nunu'a), snow and hail are always a possibility. Just because the remote weather stations say its above 32 degrees and wind speed is 5 mph (miles per hour) does not mean conditions can't change in an instant. Watch the horizons in all four directions. Do not try to drive across flash flood waters--they appear deceptively shallow; it only takes a couple inches of water to move a vehicle and help overturn it.
Road Conditions at Summit Lake
As of Monday, January 4, 2010, all roads to the Reservation are believed to be closed. Take all reasonable precautions.
Summit Lake and the surrounding area are subject to weather warnings (e.g. thunder storms with heavy (or hard) rains (unu powma-wunu), lightening (tukwukwetze'pu) and thunder (nunu'a), and hail and snow, on and off, creating large mud puddles and slippery and dangerous road conditions when snow and ice are added to the mix.
Carry tire chains, rope, tow straps, and make sure your winch is working properly. Carry appropriate clothing for below zero weather, and consider safe means of keeping your vehicle heated if you become stranded. Make sure people know your route of travel and what to do if you do not reach your destination on time.
Hope your travels all have rainbows (pe'a-tukwunudu), the sign of goodness.
Road Closure and Opening Notices
Going antelope or deer hunting and planning on using Summit Lake Reservation roads?
Call the Tribe's Office ((775) 827-9670) and speak to the Tribe's Administrator to see if you must pay the $100 Annual Vehicle Fee. Do not risk your vehicle being banished from the Reservation.
At both the Saturday, September 20, and Saturday, October 18, 2008 Council Meetings (both at Summit Lake Reservation), a report was given to the Council detailing a suggestion to close the road on the west side of Summit Lake, again, this year but this time for four (4) weeks so that the cement foundations of all cattle guards can be removed and replaced. The Council has not yet decided to close roads.
Weather Conditions near Summit Lake
Winter weather conditions need watching. It rained many days in June 2009, and for a week in July 2009 it was extremely cold. In October there was light snow fall. Climate Change?
Winter weather conditions on the Summit Lake Reservation ("Reservation") are unpredictable. Take all reasonable precautions. The Tribe no longer has a desk satellite phone in the Tribal Office--it was not reliable.
Know what services are available and not available. The nearest Hospital with air transport capability to the Summit Lake Reservation is St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, Oregon, 800-621-5433--you must have the Longitude and Latitude readings for their helicopter to find you.
The federal government has several methods to let tribal members know what the weather conditions are.
For weather warnings, fire weather watch warnings and hazardous weather outlooks, in the Denio or rural areas near Summit Lake, the National Weather Service Forecast Office provides an excellent service, click here.
You can see what the real time temperature is at elevations above and below that of the Reservation's elevation, however, you will need a basic understanding of GMT or Greenwich Mean Time. GMT is eight (8) hours different from Nevada or Pacific Time. To see what time is for GMT, look at your watch or clock, and click here.
To see what the current temperature, dew point, relative humidity, wind speed, wind gusts are northwest of the Reservation on Catnip Mountain, click here. To see the same information for south of the Reservation at Dry Creek, south and below the Reservation, click here.
Remember the above weather advisories: thunder storms with heavy (or hard) rains (unu powma-wunu), lightening (tukwukwetze'pu) and thunder (nunu'a), snow and hail are always a possibility. Just because the remote weather stations say its above 32 degrees and wind speed is 5 mph (miles per hour) does not mean conditions can't change in an instant. Watch the horizons in all four directions. Do not try to drive across flash flood waters--they appear deceptively shallow; it only takes a couple inches of water to move a vehicle and help overturn it.
Road Conditions at Summit Lake
As of Monday, January 4, 2010, all roads to the Reservation are believed to be closed. Take all reasonable precautions.
Summit Lake and the surrounding area are subject to weather warnings (e.g. thunder storms with heavy (or hard) rains (unu powma-wunu), lightening (tukwukwetze'pu) and thunder (nunu'a), and hail and snow, on and off, creating large mud puddles and slippery and dangerous road conditions when snow and ice are added to the mix.
Carry tire chains, rope, tow straps, and make sure your winch is working properly. Carry appropriate clothing for below zero weather, and consider safe means of keeping your vehicle heated if you become stranded. Make sure people know your route of travel and what to do if you do not reach your destination on time.
Hope your travels all have rainbows (pe'a-tukwunudu), the sign of goodness.
Road Closure and Opening Notices
Going antelope or deer hunting and planning on using Summit Lake Reservation roads?
Call the Tribe's Office ((775) 827-9670) and speak to the Tribe's Administrator to see if you must pay the $100 Annual Vehicle Fee. Do not risk your vehicle being banished from the Reservation.
At both the Saturday, September 20, and Saturday, October 18, 2008 Council Meetings (both at Summit Lake Reservation), a report was given to the Council detailing a suggestion to close the road on the west side of Summit Lake, again, this year but this time for four (4) weeks so that the cement foundations of all cattle guards can be removed and replaced. The Council has not yet decided to close roads.