Rain, wind and snow barrel into Nevada

Tuesday, Dec. 10, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

About a foot of snow fell at the upper elevations of the Sierra Nevada as the first of two fast-moving storms hit on Monday.

A winter storm warning remained in effect today for the Lake Tahoe area south to Mammoth Lakes. The National Weather Service predicted possible additional snow accumulations of 1-2 feet above 7,000 feet.

A snow advisory was posted for northern Washoe County.

Chains were mandatory on Interstate 80 over Donner Summit early today. Chains or snow tires were required on the Mount Rose Highway southwest of Reno, Geiger Grade between Reno and Virginia City, Kingsbury Grade in Douglas County, U.S. 50 and all other trans-Sierra highways.

While traveling in the mountains was slow, no major accidents were reported, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.

The storm brought blustery winds and rain to the valleys of western Nevada, from the Reno-Sparks area south to Gardnerville. A high-wind warning was in effect for much of the region, including portions of Lyon and Mineral counties.

U.S. 95 between Schurz and Hawthorne was shut down around mid morning because of a blown over truck and high winds, the patrol said. Details were not immediately available.

Wind gusts topped 80 mph over the ridgetops in the Sierra and 60 mph in Washoe Valley between Reno and Carson City, the National Weather Service said.

Forecasters said the latest storm should begin to dissipate later in the day, with Wednesday's outlook calling for scattered snow or rain showers with the snow level at around 7,000 feet.