Stormy weekend sets early March records

Last weekend's storm was not quite the snowmageddon advertised, but it was a solid moisture producer 

The storm brought 2 inches of moisture in the form of 13 inches of snow to Minden, according to R-C weather watcher Stan Kapler. 

According to the U.S. Weather Service, that set a record for the first four days of March for both precipitation and snow in Minden, where records have been kept for 118 years. 

March 1 saw a new record in Minden for precipitation with .55 inches, for snowfall on March 2 and 3 and for precipitation on March 3. 

Despite having a wet February that saw 3.37 inches of precipitation and a record-setting 26 inches of snow, without the first week or March the water year would be slightly below average. As of March 6, Minden has seen 9.73 inches of moisture.

Fredericksburg resident Jeff Garvin reported 16 inches of snow fell at his place over the weekend, as he fired up his snow blower to clear his long driveway.

Topaz Ranch Estates resident John Flaherty reported a foot of snow in his outdoor living room.

Heavenly Mountain Resort reported receiving 68 inches of snow from the storm, with 38 inches falling overnight on Saturday.

The storm resulted in delayed openings at the resort on Saturday and Sunday. Booms from avalanche control efforts reverberated across Carson Valley on Monday morning.

Looking Back at Leap Year Weekend Storm

Last weekend’s storm was brought home by photos of long lines of semi-trucks stuck on Interstate 80, which finally reopened after more than three days on Monday afternoon.

Travel was the real challenge over the weekend as what was touted as the biggest storm of the season arrived in the Sierra Nevada.

Those headaches were exacerbated early Monday morning when blowing snow closed Interstate 580 through Washoe Valley for almost nine hours. That resulted in the postponement of Douglas County District Court on Monday morning as attorneys and defendants coming from Reno couldn’t make it in.

Concerns ahead of the storm prompted Gov. Joe Lombardo to order state offices closed early on Friday afternoon.

While early concerns before the storm focused on whether Kingsbury Grade would remain open for the duration. It closed for only a few hours Saturday night. Highway 50 closed briefly near Spooner Summit for a jack-knifed truck at Spooner Summit on Saturday evening and again on Sunday morning due to a small snow slide.

Travel over the weekend in Carson Valley was also complicated by high winds and blowing snow.

A delivery truck lost traction trying to get through Genoa on Saturday morning as snow fell in Nevada’s oldest town. A trailer was blown over by the wind in Alpine View on Saturday afternoon.

Winds contributed to power outages throughout the weekend, with NV Energy reporting 655 customers without power at Lake Tahoe on Friday night. Power outages spread to Carson Valley on Saturday with 86 customers mostly near Foothill Road and 72 in Minden.

By Sunday morning, a winter storm warning for Carson Valley was downgraded to an advisory and the blizzard at Lake Tahoe reduced to a winter storm warning.