8 inches of snow in Virginia City, 4 in Reno, 3 in Fernley

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Scattered snow showers were expected off and on in the Reno-Tahoe area into Thursday after several of inches of snow snarled morning traffic in Reno and Sparks Wednesday and forced numerous school delays and cancellations.

The first significant snow of the season made its way to the valley floors on the Sierra’s eastern front early Wednesday with more than 4 inches (10 centimeters) in Reno and 3 inches (7.6 cm) in Carson City, Sparks and Fernley.

Eight inches (20.3 cm) of snow was reported in Virginia City, and up to a half-foot (15.2 cm) in the foothills west of Reno and at ski resorts around Lake Tahoe, where multiple feet of snow fell during the past two weeks.

More than 8 feet (2.4 meters) of snow has accumulated on Sierra ridgetops at the Mammoth Mountain ski resort about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Lake Tahoe, the most so far this winter in the Lower 48 states, the resort said.

Isolated snow showers remained in Thursday morning’s forecast at Lake Tahoe with lows approaching single digits. But they were expected to give way to mostly cloudy then partly cloudy skies in Reno with lows in the teens and low 20s.

Interstate 80 was open with no controls over the top of the Sierra west of the California-Nevada line. But chains or snow tires were required on several other mountain passes Wednesday afternoon. A stretch of I-80 east of Reno was briefly closed early Wednesday.