Nevada Department of Transportation workers talk to a motorist at the base of Kingsbury.
Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.
Around 45 hours after it closed in the New Year's Eve storm on Saturday, Kingsbury Grade reopened on Monday afternoon.
The state had the majority of the snow cleared but had to wait for disabled vehicles to be towed off.
“Unfortunately, there were a number of vehicles which became disabled on the grade during the storm,” State transportation spokeswoman Meg Ragonese said.
Those vehicles were towed by private tow companies and as long as they were there, it was unsafe to reopen the main route between Carson Valley and Lake Tahoe.
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While all the major routes across Carson Valley are open, Kingsbury Grade is closed and likely to remain that way.
Nevada Department of Transportation workers at the base told motorists that it wasn’t the snow as much as the abandoned vehicles on the road that’s slowing down clearing the main route between Carson Valley and Lake Tahoe.
High water closed Centerville and Genoa lanes on Saturday, but both routes were clear by Sunday afternoon, as were highways 88 and 395, Muller and Mottsville lanes.
Residents reported up to 23 inches of snow in Fish Springs as a Tonopah low favored the Pine Nut Mountains.
Highway 395 reopened from Lee Vining to Bridgeport, CalTrans reported on Sunday. Chains or snow tires are required from Bridgeport to Topaz, according to https://roads.dot.ca.gov
That requirement extends north into Douglas County, according to nvroads.com, stopping in Minden and then back in effect for Highway 395 to Carson City.
