Sierra storm causes major delays for post-holiday travelers

Martin Griffith

Monday, Nov. 30, 1998 | 9 a.m.

RENO - The thousands of Thanksgiving holiday travelers who braved traffic jams and wintry weather in the Sierra on Sunday may be glad they didn't wait until later today.

The National Weather Service said another powerful winter storm was headed toward the Sierra and western Nevada, bringing another dose of gusting winds and heavy snow.

A winter storm warning was in effect today into tonight for the Lake Tahoe area and portions of eastern California as a strong Pacific system makes its way into the region.

The weather service said the storm will be accompanied by 20-40 mph winds and gusts to 80 mph over the ridgetops.

Forecasters predicted 1-2 feet of new snow over the higher elevations by Tuesday morning, with 5-10 inches possible around Lake Tahoe.

Snow levels were expected to drop to the valley floors of western Nevada by later today, where 1-2 inches of snow was anticipated.

The latest wave of wintry weather comes on the heel of a weaker system that caused gridlock and delays for thousands of Northern California travelers returning home on Sunday after the Thanksgiving holiday.

The California Highway Patrol said as much as a foot of new snow doubled the usual four-hour drive over Sierra passes on Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 50 for San Francisco Bay area-bound motorists.

"The basic problem is we have many tourists and skiers all trying to go home at the same time," CHP dispatcher Nikki Mann said. "People are not prepared to drive in the snow."

Westbound I-80 traffic was backed up more than seven miles at various times Sunday from the agricultural inspection station in Truckee, Calif., because of accidents.

Westbound motorists on Highway 50 faced similar ordeals as traffic was backed up for about eight miles from Meyers, Calif., to the Stateline casino area at one point.

"You can't move. It's a zoo," said Mariah McVey, a clerk at J & L Food Mart in Truckee. "The freeway is backed up all the way to who knows where. I can walk faster than the traffic is moving."

Brian Shurtleff, an employee at the Truckee agricultural station, agreed. "I just talked to a motorist who said it took him about two hours to make the drive from Reno to here. It's normally a 35-minute drive," he said.

To avoid further congestion, all westbound truck rigs on I-80 were held five miles west of Reno.

No major weather-related accidents were reported.

The snow caught travelers by surprise since it wasn't expected to fall until Sunday afternoon. Steady snow fell over higher elevations beginning at 2 a.m. Sunday.

While many motorists cursed the snow, Lake Tahoe ski resorts rejoiced over it, reporting good crowds over the holiday weekend.

"We had a huge weekend," Boreal spokeswoman Carrie Roberts said. "Friday and Saturday were both very busy. We couldn't have asked for better days. The snow and weather really cooperated."

Alpine Meadows spokeswoman Rachael Woods agreed: "Our parking lots were filled. It's nice to have a big early-season kickoff and that's what we got. It sets the tone for the whole year in terms of getting everybody excited about winter sports."

Thanksgiving marks the traditional start of the Lake Tahoe skiing season.