Dave Maxwell
Pahranagat Valley fields and pastures after Monday’s snowstorm looking along North Richardville Road. The storm left behind as much as up to 18 inches in some areas across the county.
An old proverb says March is to come in like a lion, but this year, the lion came early, Feb. 1, in fact. A developing winter storm belted much of southeastern Nevada with snows up to 18 inches in some places as the new month rang in.
The National Weather Service reported heavy snow warnings in much of Lincoln, Nye, Esmeralda, White Pine, Eureka and parts of Lander counties.
For many, it was the first heavy winter snow storm in three or four years. Schools were closed in Pioche, Panaca and Caliente. Schools were open in Alamo, however PVHS principal Mike Strong said students bussed in from the Rachel area were excused from school Monday.
A powerful storm system moved into the state on Sunday, bringing scattered showers and thunderstorms to much of the Las Vegas Valley.
Then as the storm moved northeastward in the early morning hours, the other counties began to get snow.
Todd Palmer of the Alamo Nevada Department of Transportation office said snow was reported at 17 inches in the Rachel valley.
Nevada Highway Patrol did not report the closure of any major highway and state routes in the Lincoln County, although Monday chains or snow tires were required on the Oak Springs summit on U.S. 93.
Around l8 inches of snow was reported in the Caselton area, the county detention center in Pioche had about 13 inches, and more at other places. Caliente reported about 8-10 inches.
Around 1½ inches was on the ground in the Pahranagat Valley, but by 8 a.m. Monday morning, all the major highways were clear.
Lincoln County Power and Alamo Power did not have any reports of customers losing power.
The Lincoln County Courthouse was closed for the day and the county commission meeting was postponed and rescheduled for today at 9 a.m.
It has been quite a while since the courthouse was closed or commissioners meetings cancelled due to weather, although there have been a few other times in the past.
The sheriff’s department said there were no major traffic accidents other than a car or two sliding off the icy road into a nearby snowbank.
