Another strong wave sweeps across the Sierra, Nevada

RENO, Nev. - First, it was the winter that wouldn't start. Now, it's the winter that won't quit.

After a dry spell that left the Sierra snowpack on the short side for the first time in five years, another powerful Pacific disturbance closed a few schools and stopped a lot of traffic.

A steady snowfall throughout Wednesday was accompanied by winds gusting to 30 mph over the passes and to 60 mph across the ridges, creating near blizzard conditions. A gust estimated at 60-70 mph toppled a tractor-trailer rig near Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

A snowboarder became stranded late Wednesday in the howling snow at Sierra at Tahoe ski resort near South Lake Tahoe, Calif. Craig Calcogt was found early today by rescue crews who said he was cold but well.

Chains remained mandatory on all mountain highways, including Interstate-80 and U.S. 50, early today. The Mount Rose Highway south of Reno - closed as winds whipped the snow into a whiteout - reopened shortly after dusk Wednesday.

"It's not fun, but it's a precaution that's needed," trucker Troy Gibson said as he chained up. "I been up here the past couple of days and I've seen lots of accidents. It's real slick out."

The Washoe County School District took one look at the forecast and canceled classes at Incline Village on Lake Tahoe's north shore before the snow started.

An earlier disturbance snarled traffic Tuesday and left 20 inches of snow on Echo Summit and 24 inches in Truckee, where it accumulated at a rate of an inch an hour Tuesday evening.

The Central Sierra Snow Laboratory on Donner Summit measured 27 inches of snow from the series of storms. Ski areas were reporting up to 3 feet at their higher elevations.

The Desert Research Institute did its part to improve the snowpack, which has grown slowly until now. It turned on cloud seeding generators for the 12th time this year in the Tahoe-Truckee runoff area and for the ninth time in the Carson-Walker drainage, according to spokesman John Doherty.

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