Storm brings snow, rain to Tahoe

Martin Griffith

Sunday, Jan. 16, 2000 | 9:56 a.m.

RENO, Nev. - Skiers and snowboarders endured a mixture of snow and rain Saturday as a storm expected to continue into Sunday hit the Reno-Tahoe area.

By Saturday evening, the storm had dumped up to a foot or more of snow on elevations above 7,000 feet and drenched lower elevations in heavy rain.

But forecasters were calling for a drop in the snow level to valley floors in the Reno area and for up to another foot of snow in the Tahoe area by Sunday night.

Officials at Heavenly on Tahoe's south shore rejoiced over the storm, even though skiers encountered rain on the resort's lower slopes Saturday.

"We're extremely happy because most of our mountain is getting snow," said Heavenly spokeswoman Monica Bandows. "It's definitely looking like a big holiday weekend."

At Squaw Valley north of Tahoe, skiers encountered heavy rain about three-quarters of the way down the mountain Saturday.

"It might be better to wait until tomorrow to ski," a resort employee said Saturday.

Citing their higher elevations, officials at Mt. Rose southwest of Reno and Boreal on Donner Summit each reported up to a foot of new snow and no rain.

Chain and snow tire restrictions were lifted by late Saturday morning on most Tahoe-area highways after snow turned to rain.

Interstate 80 over Donner Summit and U.S. Highway 50 over Echo Summit were both open with no controls, but chains were mandatory on Highway 88 over Carson Pass.

No major weather-related accidents were reported.

But skiers faced major delays getting to both Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows because of a propane tanker truck that overturned on Highway 89 near the resorts.

The accident forced the closure of the highway between the resorts and Tahoe City, Calif., for about a nine-hour period ending at 1:45 p.m., the California Highway Patrol reported.

The CHP said the driver was trying to back up to enter a driveway when the truck went off the roadway and overturned, blocking both lanes of the highway.

No propane spilled and no injuries were reported.

Heavenly's Bandows said her resort would be able to open nearly all of its terrain if the storm delivers more snow Sunday as expected. About 55 percent of its terrain was open Saturday.

"After this weekend, I think we won't be quite to 100 percent open, but we'll be close to it," she said. "It's great news considering the slow start to winter we've had."

Only a week ago, the Tahoe snowpack was about 20 percent of normal for the season. A storm earlier in the week left up to a foot of snow.