Henderson hit by heavy snow

Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Home News

While playing in the snow in her street, 11-year-old Sarah Ali aims a snowball at her brother. Snow fell Wednesday afternoon in much of the Las Vegas Valley, including in the Green Valley area of Henderson.

By Amanda Finnegan (contact)

Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008 | 6:19 p.m.

As the snow came down in the afternoon hours Wednesday, Henderson residents didn’t seem to be deterred by the slushy roads and slippery sidewalks.

Even with the expected 6 inches, residents went about their normal activities and saw the weather as a chance to get into the holiday spirit.

Melissa Sabean said the snow was an extremely rare sight for Henderson residents.

“It’s very different. I’ve never seen it snow for more than an hour,” Sabean said.

Sabean said on her way to work at the Henderson Multigenerational Center, she heard a radio station switch from regular programming to more festive music when the blanket of snow hit the Valley.

“On the radio they were playing rock music and then they all of a sudden switched over to Christmas music when the snow came,” Sabean said.

For 6-year-old Jessica Fitzgerald, today marked her first major snowstorm in Green Valley.

“I think it’s weird that it’s snowing this hard,” Jessica said. “When we were driving, a guy threw a snow ball and it hit my window!”

“This is probably our third time seeing snow,” Jessica’s mom, Cindy Fitzgerald, said. “We use to live in Henderson down U.S. 95 by Wagon Wheel and last year when it snowed, there was enough on the ground to make snowmen. But this is the first time we’ve seen it snow this close to Vegas.”

Jessica said they wouldn’t be making a snowman this year.

“It was too hard. Maybe just snow angels this time,” Jessica said.

Jessica and Cindy ventured to The District to have lunch and do some Christmas shopping.

“The driving part isn’t very fun. I grew up in Chicago so I still remember how to drive in the snow, but I think there are a lot of people here who don’t know or understand what to do,” Cindy said.

Christina Garant and Patt McCaffrey of Henderson stopped into the Coffee Bean to watch the snowfall after holiday shopping.

“I love it. I think it’s wonderful,” Garant said. “I don’t like the heat. I’m a cold weather person so I would much prefer if it rained and snow all the time but it doesn’t.”

Shoppers like Garant and McCaffrey found unusually slippery and snow-covered sidewalks at The District, making it difficult for some to get around.

“I just had tennis shoes on, which are a terrible thing to wear in the snow because they have no tread. I should have had boots or something on. It’s a little hard walking in the snow,” Garant said.

Even though roads remained messy, Garant said she wasn’t that concerned.

“The roads are slick so we’ll just drive slow and carefully but everyone seems to be driving pretty carefully. We forget in the rain but in the snow we seem to pay attention,” Garant said.

Metro Police are reporting dozens of accidents every hour and have blocked off several major roads and exits. Snowfall is expected to continue through Wednesday night into the early hours of Thursday, bring 3 to 6 inches to the Valley.