Major storm drops heavy snow at Tahoe, closes highways

RENO, Nev. - One of the strongest storms of the season dropped up to 4 feet of snow in the Lake Tahoe area over the weekend and shut down two major mountain arteries.

U.S. Highway 50 over Echo Summit, located southwest of Tahoe, was closed for more than six hours Sunday because of avalanche control activities. Westbound traffic was backed up for five miles from Meyers, Calif., to South Lake Tahoe after it reopened.

In Nevada, State Route 207 over Kingsbury Grade was closed for more than four hours Sunday after about 30 vehicles became stuck in heavy snow and tow trucks sent to assist them also became stuck. The highway links Tahoe's Stateline casino area to the Minden area in the Carson Valley.

The storm also was blamed for a deadly avalanche near Truckee, Calif. Three people survived after being buried in it for more than four hours Saturday night, but University of California, Berkeley student Malcolm Russell Hart, 21, of Dover, N.H., was killed.

Also near Truckee, chains or snow tires were required on Interstate 80 over Donner Summit until Sunday afternoon when the snow finally let up.

Westbound traffic was backed up for two miles in Truckee after the controls were lifted. Westbound truck rigs were held at the California line until the congestion cleared.

A California man was seriously injured when he was struck by a vehicle while putting chains on his truck on I-80 just west of Truckee.

Paul Tong, 45, of Elk Grove, was listed in serious condition Sunday at Washoe Medical Center in Reno.

No other major accidents were reported.

Widespread street flooding was reported in South Lake Tahoe after the snow turned to rain Sunday afternoon, melting a portion of the snowpack there.

National Weather Service forecaster Roger Lamoni said the storm dumped from 2 to 4 feet of snow above 8,000 feet in the Sierra over a 24-hour period ending Sunday afternoon. It dumped up to 2 feet above 7,000 feet.

"As far as snowfall, it was one of the wettest storms of the season," he said.

The new snow added to an impressive Tahoe snowpack, which stood at 127 percent of average before the weekend storm.

A winter storm warning remains in effect through Monday in the Tahoe area, where another storm could dump heavy snow again Monday, Lamoni said.

"With the second wave being colder, travel problems will likely be worse since more roadways will be affected," he said.

For a second straight day Sunday, wind gusts of more than 100 mph were reported over the Sierra crest.

But winds subsided in the Reno area, which was plagued by scattered power outages and widespread property damage after gusts of up to 104 mph on Saturday.

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