New Year's Eve storm shuts down Sierra highways

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TOM GARDNER (12-31) 16:26 PST (AP) - RENO, Nev. (AP) -- Hurricane-force winds and blinding snow stalled traffic over the Sierra on Tuesday and made the New Year's Eve day commute a hazardous one across western Nevada.

Interstate-80 was closed north of Lake Tahoe by a combination of heavy snow and winds gusting to 100 mph that created whiteout conditions.

U.S. 50 -- the only other main highway linking Northern California and northern Nevada -- was closed south of the lake and north of Yosemite National Park for avalanche control.

Both highways reopened at midmorning, with chains mandatory.

Chains or snow tires were required on all other highways in the area, including U.S. 395 between Reno and Carson City and from Reno north to Susanville, Calif., until sunshine and warmer temperatures appeared in the afternoon.

To the east, a winter storm warning was issued for the mountains of Elko County. Chains or snow tires were required on U.S. 93 north of Wells to Jackpot and the Idaho line and over the summits of U.S. 50.

Weather observers there saw up to a foot of snow in 18 hours around Elko.

Conditions improved into New Year's Eve, with a chance of snow lingering through New Year's Day and the possibility of a few gusts picking up snow in wind-prone areas.

The storm was the latest in a string of powerful El Nino-related systems that have dumped up to 14 feet of snow in the Sierra this month.

-- Anonymous, January 01, 2003


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