RENO " Lake Tahoe-area ski resorts picked up anywhere from 1 to 3 feet of new snow over the weekend, with more on the horizon as they prepare for what's usually a busy Presidents' Day holiday.
"Timing is everything in the ski business," Andy Chapman, tourism director of the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, said in a written statement. "And with the way these storms are lined up, we'll get snow early in the week making for optimal ski and driving conditions for the Presidents' Day weekend, which is typically a busy time of year for the region."
The weekend that brought coveted snow to the Sierra made for tough driving conditions for travelers forced to endure slick roads and chain requirements over mountain passes, including Interstate 80 over Donner Summit and U.S. 50 over Echo Summit.
By midday Monday, travel restrictions were lifted for most western Nevada roads except over the higher passes, but many remained in effect on rural central Nevada roadways.
Tahoe ski resorts reported various snowfall amounts, ranging from around a foot or more at Heavenly Mountain Resort and Squaw Valley USA to nearly 2 feet at Alpine Meadows and 3 feet on upper elevations at Kirkwood Mountain Resort.
The National Weather Service in Reno said snow would remain in the forecast throughout the week, with a better chance of snow beginning tonight through Wednesday.
The return of wintry weather followed a mild start to the new year in the Reno-Carson City area, where temperatures for weeks have been balmy " in the low to upper 50s.
In contrast, highs around the Reno area on Monday were mostly in the mid to upper 30s, and were expected to remain cold throughout the week, forecasters said.