Carson City Commute for Jan. 20: Snow, ice and hazardous roads

Inauguration Day in the Nevada state capital is forecast to be snowy, according to reports from the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno, which has posted a winter weather advisory until 10 p.m. Friday.

This means snow and ice on roadways in and around the Carson City area. Black ice may be present in areas due to thawing Thursday and a layer of snow covering the streets Friday morning. Motorists are advised to take extra care in hazardous road conditions.

Snow is falling heavy at this hour in the Carson City area. Motorists are advised to give themselves extra time for travel into and out of the Nevada state capital.

Carson City School District reports schools are operating on schedule Friday morning, according to the district web site. For Bus Route 2524, parents need to bring students to Combs Canyon and Dartmouth for pick up, according to the district website.

Chains or snow tires are required through most of Washoe Valley, the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) reports, including a 7.2-mile stretch of old U.S. Highway 395 Alternate and 8.5 miles along Interstate 580, from mile post 6.5 to mile post 15 in Washoe County.

Chains or snow tires are also required on U.S. Highway 50 west at Spooner Summit to 14.6 miles along the Lake Tahoe shore in Douglas County, as well as for 7.6 miles up the mountain in Carson City.

State routes 341 an 342 (Six Mile Canyon Road) in Lyon and Storey counties has chain or traction tire requirements in effect, including 7.8 miles along SR 341 and for three miles up SR 342.

Traction tires or devices are also required along SR 28 from the Douglas County line near the U.S. Highway 50 west junction to about the state line at Crystal Bay, NDOT reports.

Although now open to traffic following extensive flood erosion repair, SR 207 does have chain or snow tire requirements this morning for seven miles on Kingsbury Grade from mile post 0 to mile post 7, NDOT said.

And SR 431 in Washoe County has traction tire or devices required for 24 miles up the Mount Rose Highway.

The NWS is forecasting around two inches of snow possible in the Carson City area Friday and up to four inches along foothill locations above 5,000 feet.

Snow is expected to continue overnight Friday into Saturday and lasting through Sunday night, the NWS said, with total snow accumulation of 6-14 inches in valley locations around Northwestern Nevada, including Carson City.

Between one and two feet of snow is possible in foothill locations throughout the region above 5,000 feet.

Wind is forecast to pick up on Sunday, the NWS reports, sustained at 15-25 miles per hour (mph) and gusts to 40 mph, creating incidents of blowing snow in wind-prone locations like Washoe Valley.

Travel conditions over area roadways are forecast to be very hazardous through the weekend, and especially on Sunday with winds picking up, the NWS reports.

Snow is forecast into Monday as well with a 60 percent chance of precipitation and high temperatures reaching only into the low to mid-30s.

Daytime highs around Carson City through the weekend and the start of next week will only reach to the upper 30s Friday and Saturday before dipping into the low 30s for Sunday and Monday, the NWS reports.

Overnight lows will be below the freezing mark in the upper 20s to around 30 degrees.