Emergency vehicles line the southbound shoulder of the Carson City Freeway just north of the Carson Street exit this afternoon. At least three separate accidents there about 1:30 p.m. delayed southbound traffic.
Carson City deputies responded to more than 20 minor accidents today between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. including a semi truck rollover on the southbound exit from the freeway onto Carson Street.
Lakeview Hill had a series of accidents as well with about three separate fender benders about 1:30 p.m.
Troopers from the Nevada Highway Patrol stayed extremely busy this morning responding to approximately four dozen automobile crashes on area highways. According to Trooper Chuck Allen, between 6 a.m. and noon today, 47 accidents took place throughout Northern Nevada as a result of falling snow, slippery roadways, and inexperienced drivers. Additionally, there were dozens of spin-outs and slide-offs on many highways as well.
The portion of Highway 395 between Carson City and the North McCarran Boulevard interchange in Reno, along with the Interstate 80 corridor between the state line and the USA Parkway interchange, were the two major areas that saw most of the crash activity.
The accidents this morning involved a jack-knifed semi-truck and trailer near Mustang, several single-vehicle rollover crashes and many single and multiple-vehicle accidents . Most of the crashes were property damage only and those with injuries were minor, said Allen.
The most serious accident of the day took place at approximately 12:21 p.m. on westbound Interstate 80 near the USA Parkway interchange near Lockwood. A trooper had stopped to assist several motorists who were involved in a previous property-damage accident involving three vehicles. All three vehicles were parked on or near the right paved shoulder when the trooper arrived on scene. Apparently, one of the motorists's involved in that collision called a friend to come to the accident scene and meet her. The friend, who was driving silver GMC Yukon, parked her vehicle directly behind the trooper's vehicle. An errant west bound motorist, who was driving a white Chevrolet pickup, veered out of his travel lane and struck the rear of the GMC Yukon. The Yukon, whose driver was sitting in her vehicle, was pushed into the rear portion of the NHP vehicle. The trooper was out of his vehicle and was not injured. The female in the Yukon and the driver of the at-fault vehicle both sustained head injuries and were both transported to the hospital via ground ambulance. A trooper from Reno was at Renown this afternoon trying to learn more about the cause of that accident.
In addition to the snowstorm snarling traffic it also is forcing flight delays and cancellations in the Reno-Lake Tahoe area.
Reno-Tahoe International Airport spokeswoman Trish Tucker says the storm has caused four cancellations and 13 delays so far.
Washoe County School District officials in Reno say all school sporting events and activities are being canceled through Monday.
The storm also has prompted widespread chain controls on highways in the region, including on Interstate 80 over Donner Summit.
The National Weather Service says the storm should be the start of a prolonged stormy period lasting through the middle of next week.
The storm is expected to bring 3 to 6 feet of snow to higher elevations around Tahoe by Sunday afternoon.