Strong winds foreshadow the coming storm

GARDNERVILLE - Winds of up to 80 mph knocked down a cross arm on a utility pole on Centerville Lane on Thursday afternoon.

"A bolt came out of the crossarm and it's hanging where it is," said Karl Walquist, public information officer for Sierra Pacific Power Co. "There's been no power outage, and a crew is on the way to fix the crossarm."

The intersection and surrounding stretch of highway was shut down and traffic was redirected at both Kimmerling Road and at Centerville Lane.

Strong winds preceded a large storm meteorologists said could produce blizzard-like conditions in the Sierra Nevada. Snow is expected to fall today through Sunday.

Sierra Pacific also had crews at the ready in anticipation of power outages.

"Even though this one apparently is going to pack a powerful punch, our crews have worked in these conditions before," Walquist said. "We're not new to storms."

Walquist said power company officials were in close contact with the weather service and area emergency management officials to monitor the storm and events.

Winds also struck around Lake Tahoe and very windy conditions are forecast today with a deepening low pressure system off the Pacific Northwest coast. South winds 20-40 mph with gusts to 60 mph are expected today at lake level and gust to nearly 150 mph along the Sierra crest.

These winds will combine with heavy snow to create blizzard or white-out conditions over the passes during the day while a mixture of rain and snow falls at lake level.

In Carson City, 30-35 mph winds are expected to continue today with gusts up to 55 mph.

Snow levels should drop rapidly to the valley floors tonight as the cold front moves through the area bringing hazardous driving conditions to all areas through Saturday morning.

With another storm moving rapidly into the area on Sunday there will be little if any break in the snow.

Forecasted snow accumulations are approximately six inches in the Capital City, 1-2 feet at lake level and 3-5 feet above 7,000 feet by Sunday night.

• Meteorologist Tom Cylke contributed to this report.

Region braces for harsh weather

By SANDRA CHEREB

Associated Press Writer

RENO - Residents stocked up on provisions, snow shovels and emergency items Thursday, preparing for a powerful winter storm that forecasters warned could bring hurricane force winds and several feet of snow across the Sierra and western Nevada.

A rare blizzard warning was issued by the National Weather Service for the Sierra and Lake Tahoe region beginning 4 a.m. today through Saturday morning.

"It's been several years since we've seen a storm this impressive," said Chris Jordan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno.

At Mountain Hardware and Sports in Truckee, Calif., business has been brisk for the past few days as the storm drew nearer and weather predictions - which sometimes fizzle - instead intensified.

"Ice melt, snow blowers are going out - snow shovels are going crazy," said Robert Torres, a manager at the hardware store in the scenic Sierra town just east of Donner Summit.

Blustery winds on Thursday forced several Tahoe-area ski resorts to shut down some ski lifts, and conditions were expected to only get worse.

Forecasters said winds would increase to 80-100 mph, with gusts to near 145 mph, through this afternoon.

Snow totals of 3-5 feet were expected above 7,000 feet by Saturday, with higher totals in some areas. At Lake Tahoe, 1-2 feet was predicted.

On its Web site, the weather service flatly told motorists not to drive across Sierra Nevada passes today or tonight.

In the Reno-Carson City area, the storm was expected to bring rain today before turning to snow overnight into Saturday.

A winter storm watch was posted for western, northeast and central Nevada from tonight through Saturday morning, with possible valley accumulations of 3 to 6 inches forecast and a foot or more in foothill regions, the weather service said.

Jordan said the storm's punch is packed in subtropical moisture coming across the Pacific from the Philippines that will collide with cold air flowing from the Gulf of Alaska.

Forecasters have been watching the brewing systems for about a week, and so far all the computer models predicting its force are holding.

"If anything, it's looking more and more promising," Jordan said.

Scott Magruder, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Transportation, said road crews were ready for the winter onslaught.

"We've got people out there ready to go," he said. "There haven't been any storms in the last couple weeks, so we're prepared. The crews are rested up," he said.

He said crews already have been applying a salt brine to some roads, designed to help prevent or slow freezing once the storm hits.

"When the snow starts falling, it won't freeze up as much," he said.

Last year, state road crews used about 13,000 cubic yards of sand and salt and 250,000 gallons of brine on roads in the western Nevada area, he said.

On the Net

National Weather Service:

www.weather.gov/

Nevada Department of Transportation:

safetravelusa.com/nv/

Road information:

511

or if outside Nevada

1(877) NV ROADS (687-6237)