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Snowstorm Shuts Down I-80 In The Sierra

RENO, Nev. (AP) -- A Sierra snowstorm packing high winds downed a power line along Interstate 80 in west Reno, forcing the temporary closure of the highway at midday on Tuesday and leaving more than 3,300 people without electricity.

The California Highway Patrol reopened a stretch of I-80 over the top of the mountains west of the Nevada-California line that had been shut down earlier Tuesday due to poor visibility.

But the power line's proximity to the interstate required authorities to reroute traffic again at about 11 a.m. as utility crews worked to restore power in northwest Reno.

A winter storm warning remained in effect Tuesday afternoon in western Nevada, where 2 to 5 inches of snow was expected in the valleys. About a foot was expected around Lake Tahoe.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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