Winter refuses to yield to changing of the seasons

RENO, Nev. -- Winter threw a stubborn tantrum on Monday, refusing to yield to the changing seasons by dumping heavy snow in the Sierra and taxing the patience of spring-starved residents.

"If you have any pull, will you tell it to stop?" asked Judy Miller, service manager at the Donner Park Unocal on Interstate 80 in Truckee, Calif.

"It's very snowy," she said. "We've probably had 6 to 8 inches and it's still snowing. It's too late in the season to be getting so much."

A winter storm warning was in effect through midnight Monday for the Lake Tahoe region. The National Weather Service predicted 8-10 inches of snow at lake level and more than a foot at the higher elevations.

The storm pushing in from the Pacific came on the heels of another system that dumped nearly 2 feet in the mountains over the weekend.

Monday's storm was accompanied by blustery winds that created hazardous driving conditions across the region, though no major accidents were reported.

U.S. 50 over Echo Summit was closed for part of the day because of heavy, blowing snow. Chains or snow tires were required on all other mountain passes, including I-80 over Donner Summit and the Mount Rose Highway.

Snow was expected later in the day in the Reno-Carson City area, where the National Weather Service predicted accumulations of 1 to 3 inches Tuesday morning.

Al Cox of the weather service in Reno said scattered snow will remain in the forecast through Tuesday. A brief reprieve from winter was anticipated on Wednesday before a new system approaches bringing another chance of snow on Thursday.

"It's discouraging but not unusual," Cox said, noting that while the calendar says it's spring, winter often dictates otherwise.

Historically, April is a month of transition, when winter continues to hang around but summer begins to make a presence, too.

"Lows in the teens are not uncommon," he said. "On the other hand, highs in the 80s aren't unusual either."

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