KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video - Big Storm Bears Down on Sierra Nevada
Member Center:
Residents stocked up on provisions, snow shovels and emergency items in preparation for a powerful winter storm that forecasters warned could bring hurricane force winds and several feet of snow across the Sierra and western Nevada.
A rare blizzard warning was issued by the National Weather Service for the Sierra and Lake Tahoe region beginning 4 a.m. Friday through Saturday morning.
Blustery winds Thursday forced several Tahoe-area ski resorts to shut down some ski lifts, and conditions were expected to only get worse.
Forecasters said winds would increase to 80-100 mph in the mountains, with gusts to near 145 mph, through Friday afternoon.
Snow totals of 3-5 feet were expected above 7,000 feet by Saturday, with higher totals in some areas. At Lake Tahoe, 1-2 feet was predicted.
Anywhere from 6 inches to a foot or more was expected across the valleys of northern Nevada.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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IR80:
- Chains mandatory for 44.2 miles between Drum California Exit 150 and
0.9 miles west of Junction Hirschdale Road Exit 194.
US50:
- Chains mandatory for 11 miles between 10.6 miles east of Kyburz
California and 4.1 miles west of Junction of California State Route
89.
US395:
- Open with no controls, high wind warning: campers and trailers are
prohibited for 6 miles between 2.3 miles north of Junction US 395
Business and State Route 529-North Carson Street and Winters Ranch.
SR89:
- Snowtires or chains required for 13.4 miles between Junction
California State Route 28 at Tahoe City California and Junction
Interstate 80 at Truckee California.
SR231:
- Closed for the winter for 4 miles between Angel Lake and 4 miles
north of Angel Lake.
SR431:
- Snowtires or chains required for 7.7 miles between 6.5 miles north
of Junction State Route 28 and 10.3 miles south of Junction US 395.
OCA267:
- Snowtires or chains required for 10.2 miles between 2.4 miles east
of Junction of Interstate 80 at Truckee California and Junction
California 28 at Kings Beach.
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A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM FRIDAY TO 10 AM
PST SATURDAY.
LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW WILL DEVELOP ABOVE 6000 FEET TONIGHT
BRINGING 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE
SIERRA...AND UP TO 2 INCHES AT LAKE LEVEL. SNOW WILL BECOME HEAVY
BY FRIDAY MORNING.
SNOW COULD BRIEFLY CHANGE TO RAIN BELOW 7000 FEET FRIDAY
AFTERNOON...BEFORE SNOW LEVELS FALL TO BELOW 6000 FEET FRIDAY
EVENING. EXTREMELY HEAVY SNOW WILL OCCUR FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH
SATURDAY MORNING WITH SNOWFALL RATES UP TO 6 INCHES PER HOUR.
TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING WILL BE 3 TO 5
FEET ABOVE 7000 FEET WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS ALONG THE SIERRA
CREST...AND 1 TO 3 FEET BELOW 7000 FEET...INCLUDING THE LAKE TAHOE
BASIN. LARGE AND DEEP SNOW DRIFTS WILL OCCUR DUE TO STRONG WINDS
PRODUCING BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.
STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...WITH THE MOST
DANGEROUS WINDS FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. WIND
GUSTS UP TO 70 MPH WILL BE COMMON WITH GUSTS NEAR 145 MPH OVER
THE SIERRA RIDGES. THESE STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH THE HEAVY
SNOW TO BRING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT ALL SIERRA PASSES...WITH A
PERIOD OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS REACHING LOWER ELEVATIONS FRIDAY
NIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY.
A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS
WILL PRODUCE ZERO VISIBILITY. DO NOT TRAVEL IN THESE CONDITIONS.
IF YOU GET STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.
