RENO, Nev. – A massive winter storm pounded the Sierra and northern Nevada on Friday, creating treacherous driving conditions in the mountains and prompting state officials to warn truckers hundreds of miles away to park where they are and stay put.
A blizzard warning remained in effect for the Sierra and Lake Tahoe region along the Nevada-California line, where forecasters said heavy snow and hurricane-force winds would reduce visibility to zero.
The heaviest snowfall was expected Friday afternoon and overnight, when snow could pile up at the rate of 6 inches an hour, the National Weather Service said.
"Attempting to travel in the Sierra will put your life at risk," the weather service warned on its Web site Friday.
Truckers on U.S. Interstate 80 as far away as Evanston, Wyo. — 600 miles east of Reno — were being advised to find safe haven off the road before reaching the Sierra.
"State officials have been working closely with trucking companies and truck stops to let them know, 'Stay put,'" said Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Chuck Allen.
The concern, Allen said, was that hundreds of trucks, with no where to go, would clog the highway for miles and impede snow removal if, as expected, I-80 is shut down.
"If it starts dumping at the rate they're talking, Caltrans won't be able to keep up," Allen said.
Chains were mandatory at midmorning Friday on all mountain passes, including I-80 and U.S. 50 over Echo Summit, the main links between northern Nevada and California.
Around Lake Tahoe, at an elevation of 6,200 feet, it was more slush than snow early Friday but forecasters said that would change by afternoon.
In western Nevada, the storm arrived Friday morning in the form of rain accompanied by blustery winds.
But the precipitation was expected to change to snow by late afternoon, when a winter storm warning for the Reno-Carson City area and all of northern Nevada was to take effect.
Several ski resorts — including Heavenly Mountain Resort at South Lake Tahoe, Alpine Meadows Ski Area in Tahoe City and Mt. Rose Ski Resort near Reno — decided to shut down for the day.
"It's just really, really windy and we don't feel it's safe conditions for our operators or the public," Alpine Meadows spokeswoman Laura Ryan said.
The weather service said 4-10 inches of snow was expected in the valleys, with up to 16 inches in foothill regions by Saturday morning.
The storm that stretched across the West Coast region forced several airlines to cancel flights at Reno-Tahoe International Airport, but the airport itself remained open.
"Every airline has different specifications regarding what conditions they can fly in," said airport spokesman Brian Kulpin.
Kulpin advised travelers to check with their airlines concerning flights before venturing to the airport.