Powerful winter storm leaves behind an impressive legacy

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 1998 | 4:29 a.m.

But forecasters say it may, finally, be weather's last big hurrah this month as February winds down.

Monday's storm struck with powerful suddenness that shut down state government for the second time this year and sent public school and college students home early.

Along with clogging the Sierra, the storm left up to 8 inches of snow in the valleys of western Nevada along the U.S. 395 corridor from the California state line north of Reno to where the highway re-enters California south of Gardnerville.

Along with the snow, roads and highways turned to ice as soon as temperatures dropped. Reno police reported 51 accidents during the 24-hour period and the Nevada Highway Patrol had at least 40. None was serious, as it was difficult to go fast enough to cause much damage.

The storm dropped almost as much snow in the valleys as in the Sierra, with accumulations in the Reno-Carson City area ranging from an inch or two to 8 inches south of Carson City.

Sierra ski areas generally added a foot or two.

The White Pine County School District canceled classes after a record 0.69 of an inch of moisture translated to 15 inches of snow. The last time Ely got that much water on Feb. 23 was its 0.58 of an inch in 1956.

Monday's storm was the latest in a series of El Nino-generated weather systems that have pummeled the higher regions about every other day through February.

The forecast called for just a chance of rain or snow showers across northern Nevada through Saturday. Sunday was expected to usher in March on a distinctly lamblike note.