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Forest Service warns of high avalanche danger

Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 10:20 pm
by ERIC
A little late, sorry.
Forest Service warns of high avalanche danger

ShareThisBy Barbara Barte Osborn
Bee Correspondent
Published: Monday, Feb. 16, 2009
http://www.sacbee.com/latest/story/1628805.html


TRUCKEE - A "high" avalanche advisory for the High Sierra backcountry was issued this morning through 8 a.m. Tuesday by the U.S. Forest Service in Truckee.

For the same period, another 6 to 12 inches of snow is predicted at lake level and 1 to 2 feet above the 7,000-foot elevation, said Ray Collins, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno.

High winds - "80 to 100 miles (per hour) over the ridges" - are expected to accompany the snow, Collins said. Gusts of up to 45 mph are predicted at lower elevations.

The winds and heavy snowfall - especially this afternoon and evening - will make driving hazardous for holiday travelers, causing poor visibility and slippery roads.

A Weather Service advisory urges drivers to "slow down and allow extra time" to reach their destinations and to bring tire chains, food, water, blankets and flashlight in case of an emergency.

"We still have a winter storm warning in effect," Collins said Monday morning, adding that "it's hard to separate storms" for predictions and snow totals at this point.

The storm warning will last through 4 a.m. Tuesday, with more snow predicted Tuesday and possibly Wednesday morning.

Except for four-wheel-drive vehicles, chains are mandatory on all three major trans-Sierra highways linking the Sacramento, Calif., and Lake Tahoe areas: Interstate 80 over Donner Summit, U.S. 50 over Echo Summit and Highway 88 over Carson Pass.

Chains or snow tires also are required on other highways around Tahoe.

Some Tahoe ski resorts reported receiving up to 3 feet of snow from a storm that exited the region Saturday in advance of today's storm.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.