Northern Nevada braces for more snowy weather

Wednesday, Jan. 22, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

A winter storm warning went into effect today in the Sierra, including the Lake Tahoe Basin, and the Reno-Carson City-Minden area will get a snow advisory. The forecast calls for snowfall ranging from 2-4 inches in the valleys to 1-2 feet on the highest peaks.

Gradually warming temperatures are expected to push the snow level above the valleys to around 5,500 feet by this afternoon, which could increase snowmelt slightly, but far less than the unusually warm New Year's storm, according to Roger Lamoni of the National Weather Service.

"We're not forecasting anywhere near a 10,000-foot snow level like happened on New Year's Day. There's a huge difference. We think we're going to be okay," he said.

Lamoni, the warning coordination meteorologist for the Reno office of the weather service, said the combination of the rain, the snow pack and the soggy soil could increase runoff in some small streams, but far less than three weeks ago.

"As opposed to having a river problem, we'd be more concerned with some of the washes and creeks out of the mountains ... where the problems are much more localized and typically don't last nearly as long. In relation to river flooding, there's an order of magnitude difference," he said.

By late Tuesday, the only advisories from the weather service dealt with snow, rather than water.

At the lake, 1-3 inches' accumulation was likely by daybreak with the heaviest snow falling during the day and leaving up to a foot below 7,000 feet and 1-2 feet above that, accompanied by gusty winds.

An additional 6-10 inches was forecast for tonight with up to a foot above 7,000 feet.

In the valleys, overnight snow showers were to change to snow by morning, dropping 2-4 inches before turning to rain below 5,500 feet in the afternoon and tapering off to showers after nightfall. Lighter accumulation was forecast east and south of the Reno-Carson City-Minden corridor.

In another departure from the drenching three weeks ago, the latest surge was to give way to cloudy skies on Thursday and Friday with the next chance of valley rain and mountain snow moving in for the weekend.