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Just because you can't see it, it doesn't mean
it's not there. At least that's what many state
officials are saying about ice - on roads, parking
lots and sidewalks.
"A lot of the snow has melted and frozen several
times over, so we have chunks of ice obscured by
chunks of snow," said Chuck Allen, a spokesman for
the Nevada Highway Patrol.
During the storm that came through the Reno-Tahoe
area this past weekend, Allen said the NHP handled
12 accidents, mostly the result of icy road
conditions.
In Incline Village, Washoe County Sheriff's Office
Sgt. Bill Devine said deputies have been handling
many non-accident incidents.
"Most of them involve cars sliding off the road
with no damage to the vehicles," Devine said.
In South Lake Tahoe, the roads were littered with
six vehicle accidents, including two on Highway
50. The South Lake Tahoe Police Department
responded to about 20 collisions near Ski Run
Boulevard Sunday.
No major injuries or accidents were reported in
Incline over the weekend or since, but that
doesn't mean drivers should be any less cautious,
Devine said.
"Just because you can get through the snow (in
your four-wheel drive) doesn't mean you're going
to stop any quicker," Devine said.
The North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District has
been handling calls from residents who aren't even
in their cars before they become injured. Many
report slipping while trying to clear their
driveway in the morning, said Assistant Fire Chief
Greg McKay.
"We've had enough people clearing the snow in
their driveway and the slip and fall," McKay said.
"We've taken them to local facilities for wrist
and ankle injuries."
Accidents aren't limited to the road, sidewalks or
driveways, but even extend to the slopes of
Diamond Peak. On Monday afternoon, a local
11-year-old girl fell off Red Fox lift near the
off loading. She was treated on site and released,
said Incline Village General Improvement District
Risk Manager Mike Pennacchio.
So far Diamond Peak Ski Patrol has responded to or
treated 166 injuries, an average number for this
point in the season, Pennacchio said. Last year
there were 340.
"What we've had so far is average," Pennacchio
said.
The National Weather Service is predicting more
storms in the area into the weekend, with more
than a 50 percent chance of snow each day until
Friday.
- Adam Jensen and Jeff Muson from the Tahoe Daily
Tribune contributed to this report.
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