137 MPH Wind Gust Reported At Lake Tahoe Resort

RENO, Nev. (AP) - Chains or snow tires are required on much of U.S. Interstate 80 in the Sierra and most highways around Lake Tahoe after a winter storm packing snow and winds in excess of 130 mph (209 kph) blew through the region.

A weather advisory for the Reno-Tahoe area expired at 10 a.m. Tuesday but a winter storm watch goes into effect Thursday when a stronger storm is forecast to bring up to 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow to the highest elevations.

Less than a half-foot (15 cm) of snow was recorded at most Tahoe-area ski resorts but dangerous winds battered the mountain tops up and down the Sierra's eastern front. High-profile vehicles were prohibited on I-580 in the Washoe Valley between Reno and Carson City.

Chains were mandatory for all trucks and cars except for four-wheel vehicles with snow tires for about a 70-mile (110-kilometer) stretch of I-80 west of the California-Nevada line.

The National Weather Service says the strongest wind gust was 137 mph (220 kph) at Alpine Meadows near Tahoe City, California at 3:45 a.m. Tuesday.

The neighboring Squaw Valley resort reported a gust of 124 mph (200 kph). An 85 mph (137 kph) gust was recorded at Mount Rose near Reno.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press.