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Snow shuts down state & city offices, causes problems on I-80, travel delays and school closures

Page Last Updated: Monday December 7, 2009 2:20pm PST

A vehicle equipped with a plow removes snow from a surface street in Reno.

A powerful winter storm with a snow level of 900 feet is walloping the Sierra Nevada and northern Nevada.

Forecasters say one foot of snow could fall on the valley floor by the afternoon and three feet had fallen in the Lake Tahoe area, with another two feet expected by nightfall. Snow was falling in Reno at one to two inches an hour Monday morning.

The heaviest snowfall in the area has been through Washoe Valley and Carson City, a result of lake effect snow from Lake Tahoe.

The impressive band of moisture will linger over the area through the day, and slowly begin to move into the Southeast.

A Winter Storm Warning will stay in effect through 7 p.m. Shower activity is expected to dissipate late this afternoon, but even the evening commute looks snowy.

Skies are expected to clear by midnight, with widespread sub-zero temperatures across Nevada.

Reno is forecasted to drop to 5°, but the National Weather Service is warning if skies clear earlier, lows could be 5-10° colder.

Winds along the ridge and major mountain passes will gust to 50 mph, creating blizzard-like conditions.

There are chain controls along all the major highways, even in town. The Reno Police Department is urging area residents to remain at home and avoid all travel, if possible, and advising those whom must travel to be sure drivers install chains on their vehicles, or are driving four-wheel drive vehicles with mud and snow tires. Anyone driving on area streets and highways must drive at slow speeds for safety, Reno police say.

The Nevada Highway Patrol says officers responded to dozens of spin-outs but no major accidents. The NHP set up a chain control checkpoint on U.S. 395 just north of Reno, barring access to anyone without chains or four-wheel drive.

The snow caused many closures of state and local government offices. Reno City Hall and the City Hall Annex on Stewart Street were closed. Reno Police, Fire and Public Works emergency services remained staffed, however.

Sparks City Hall and city offices were closed for the day.

All state offices were closed due to snow, and Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons' press secretary issued a statement saying all non-essential workers should stay at home.

All Washoe County libraries were closed. Click here for a list of other closures in the area.

The snow has caused numerous school closures and other travel issues in the Reno-Sparks and Tahoe Truckee area.

A spokesperson for RTC said public transit service would be impacted. Click here for more.

A spokesman for the Reno Tahoe International Airport says all flights will be delayed today.

Click here for arrivals.

Click here for departures.

CHP says chains are required on all vehicles except those with four-wheel-drive and snow tires from Auburn to the Nevada state line.

I-80 westbound was closed at the truck scales near Truckee due to an accident for more than three hours Sunday afternoon.

The road opened after 4 p.m., but at 7 p.m. I-80 westbound was closed to westbound trucks at the Nevada state line, according to CHP. It was also closed to eastbound trucks at Auburn for most of the morning, but reopened later.

Stay tuned to News 4 for continuous, LIVE updates throughout your day.

Stay with News 4 at Noon for additional details.

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