Northern Nevada in May means chilly, windy, rain and snow

Scott Sonner

Wednesday, May 17, 2000 | 10:12 a.m.

RENO, Nev. - Snow showers and chilly, wind-blown rains fell across much of northern Nevada and the Sierra on Tuesday, but more typical mid-May weather was forecast to begin returning to the area on Wednesday.

Highs in the 80s were predicted by the weekend.

Low pressure spinning over Nevada brought as much as 4 inches of snow to the mountains and bursts of snow flurries to the valley floors in the Reno area and across much of the central part of the state Tuesday.

"For about an hour, it was snowing pretty good," said Eric Huzarski, who works in the pro shop at Wildcreek Golf Course.

"I don't like it much because it's not good for business. But it's been such a good year with the winter so mild, you knew it was coming," the native Nevadan said.

High temperatures approached 50 in much of eastern Nevada, but hovered in the mid-40s in Reno and the mid- to high 30s in Carson City and the Tahoe area. Northwest winds gusting from 15 mph to 30 mph made it feel even colder.

"Usually when they say there's a chance of snow it doesn't happen," said Richard Hardie, a Reno native who got in four holes before the snow and howling winds drove him off Wildcreek Golf Course.

"The wind is really putting a nasty wind chill on it," he said.

Two to 4 inches of snow was reported at Donner Summit just west of Truckee, Calif., and at least 1 inch of wet snow was reported at South Lake Tahoe.

Two to 4 inches of snow also were expected by Tuesday night across higher elevations of southern Lander and Eureka counties, where snow advisories were in effect for Austin and Eureka.

Chain requirements were dropped by midday Tuesday on Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 50 across the California border, but remained in effect later in the day on some local highways. Transportation officials urged motorists traveling over the high Sierra passes to check the latest road conditions before departing early Wednesday.

Temperatures were expected to return to the high 50s around Lake Tahoe on Wednesday afternoon and into the 70s across much of the rest of northern Nevada, warming into the low 80s by Friday.