May snow flurries, below-freezing temps hit northern Nevada

Thursday, May 11, 2000 | 10:30 a.m.

Its 20 degrees beat the previous mark of 21 set in 1965. Elsewhere across the northern two-thirds of the state, Eureka also bottomed out at 20, Elko stopped at 23, Lovelock at 24, Winnemucca at 29 and Tonopah at 28.

Reno froze at 28 while just 30 miles away, Carson City stopped at 36 as six months of record warmth ended with Wednesday's bitter winds and scattered snow.

Flurries were reported along the Eastern Sierra front in Reno, Carson City, Gardnerville and Fernley.

Visibility was reduced to one-half mile on U.S. Highway 395 in the Washoe Valley south of Reno at one time Wednesday afternoon.

"I kind of like it," said Brenda Fradd of Reno.

"I don't mind it if it doesn't stick and the sun is out," she told KTVN-TV.

Wind advisories were in effect across most of Nevada on Wednesday with high-wind warnings posted in extreme eastern Elko County, where gusts to 65 mph were reported. White Pine County had wind gusts up to 55 mph.

A forecast of overnight snow generally failed to materialize, although Daggett Pass at the summit of Kingsbury Grade between Minden and Lake Tahoe reported 4 inches. The Reno airport picked up only a trace of snow while some of the higher valleys north of Reno got an inch or so.

In Reno, every month since April 1999 has posted above-normal temperatures - the warmest stretch on record, state climatologist John James said.

Last month was the seventh warmest April in Reno in the 113 years records have been kept, averaging 54.1 degrees - 5.5 degrees above the normal 48.6.