Rain in state's western valleys; snow, chains in the mountains

RENO - Nevadans awoke on Wednesday to a repeat of rain in the western valleys and snow in the mountains, but it was mostly an inconvenience and not a repeat of Tuesday's deadly freezing rain.

Before temperatures rose above freezing, icy spots caused some fender benders and spinouts and fog reminiscent of last week's gloom returned in places.

In the mountains, chain restrictions were in effect early Wednesday on Interstate 80 and U.S. 50, but were dropped as temperatures began warming.

Just one day earlier, the latest version of a month of nasty winter weather in Northern Nevada - a mixture of rain, freezing rain and snow - spurred dozens of wrecks and claimed a life in a crash on Interstate 80 east of Reno.

The Nevada Highway Patrol responded to 40 traffic accidents in the area before noon Tuesday, more than a dozen on I-80 about 13 miles east of Reno.

Two people were involved in an accident and were exchanging insurance information when a pickup pulling a utility trailer skidded out of control and ran into the people alongside the interstate, the patrol said.

A man was killed and Christine V. Mackessy, 32, of Fernley was flown to Washoe Medical Center where she was listed in good conditions. The name of the 70-year-old man was not yet released.

"We had 14 accidents on I-80 between about 5 a.m. and 11 a.m. There were several rollovers and some multiple vehicle collisions ranging from property damage only to minor injuries," Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Chuck Allen said.

South of Reno, the patrol investigated eight injury accidents and six property damage accidents. At least a half dozen accidents closed U.S. 50 in Mound house, east of Carson City for about an hour. Another series of accidents, including one involving a Douglas County sheriff's unit, closed U.S. 395 just north of Minden.

Forecasters said some snow was possible late Wednesday followed by clearing today with another storm moving in on Friday.