Snow Blankets Lake Tahoe Area
Winter arrived with a vengeance Saturday as a potent storm dumped up to 5 feet of snow in the Lake Tahoe area, stranded thousands of travelers and caused dozens of accidents.
The heavy, blowing snow closed Interstate 80 over Donner Summit and U.S. Highway 50 over Echo Summit. The two highways connect Sacramento with the Reno-Tahoe area.
At Reno/Tahoe International Airport, incoming flights were being diverted to Sacramento and Las Vegas because of poor visibility. Thousands of travelers were stranded as takeoffs were at a minimum.
In the Sierra, Alpine Meadows Ski Resort spokesman Dave Baker said the snow was much heavier than expected. “The snow has been falling at a rate of 2 to 3 inches an hour and it’s still coming down,” he said Saturday afternoon.
Authorities reported dozens of accidents, including a collision between a truck rig and vehicle on Interstate 80 east of Sparks. The crash left one person dead.
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