Western Railroad Discussion > Mountains Make Their Own Weather

Mountains make their own weather is a phrase you’ll often hear from people that frequently spend time in the mountains. The Sierra Nevada is no exception, and the climate, waterways, and the topography around Truckee can often lead to inversion layers that result notably colder temperatures, and, if conditions are right, dense fog. Such was the case on the morning of Thursday, November 5, 2026. Cold air trapped in the valley that contains Truckee combined with moisture from Donner Lake, the Truckee River, and snowmelt from an early season snowfall two days prior to create a heavy fog. I grabbed the camera and headed down the east slope of Donner Pass to enjoy the ethereal ambiance.

Photo 1: I shot UP 2530 leading what I’m assuming was the MRVGR as it rolled through CP RV205 West Truckee.
Photos 2 and 3: I headed down the Truckee River Canyon to a spot I like near Verdi, NV, to find some blue skies and sunshine. The fog dissipated as the Truckee River Canyon opened into the Truckee Meadows valley west of Reno, leaving me bright morning sunlight to grab some additional shots.

Continued…

---

---

---

I'm working on getting a video of the train at Verdi uploaded, but it won't complete the upload. This is my first go at uploading media since the site reboot. Hmm...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/10/2026 07:36AM by broken_link.

That first one is a great mood shot!

mapboy

Nice set of images Sean!  The first one stands apart though.  Capturing the mood of a dark, foggy scene isn't easy, but you did it well!

Excellent trio!

You might have an IOTD with that first shot.  Great mood here.

Your first photo is deserving of IOTD Sean. Congratulations.
John



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/2026 04:28AM by jmbreitigan.