Storm brings more snow, chain controls to Sierra

RENO " The latest in a string of potent storms is dropping snow and slowing traffic in the Sierra.

Except for four-wheel-drive vehicles, chains are mandatory on all three major trans-Sierra highways linking the Sacramento, Calif., and Lake Tahoe areas: Interstate 80 over Donner Summit, U.S. 50 over Echo Summit and Highway 88 over Carson Pass.

Chains or snow tires also are required on other highways around Tahoe.

Some Tahoe ski resorts reported receiving up to 3 feet of snow from a storm that exited the region Saturday in advance of today's storm.

A winter storm warning remains in effect through 4 p.m. today around Tahoe, where up to another 21⁄2 feet of snow is expected above 7,000 feet elevation.

The storm also is dropping snow along the eastern Sierra, including around Reno and Carson City.

While the recent storms have been good news for the region's water outlook, hydrologists say they still aren't enough to erase a dry January.

The snowpack water content in the Tahoe basin is running about 70 percent of average for the date.