Another dose of snow hits Sierra Nevada

RENO -- Spring will have to wait in the Sierra Nevada.

To the delight of ski enthusiasts, a storm packing winds gusting up to 45 mph dumped about 5 inches of snow on the mountains above Lake Tahoe late Sunday and early Monday, with another foot or more forecast in the upper elevations by today .

"It's definitely going to dump a decent amount of snow up there," said Scott McGuire, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Reno.

The service predicted some rain for the valleys around Reno and Carson City, where high temperatures were expected to hover in the 40s before warming into the more springlike upper 50s and 60s by the middle of the week.

"This (changing weather) is typical, really, for the entire U.S. this time of year," McGuire said. "This is really where we go through transition. "

Some area ski resorts started closing over the weekend, but several remain open another week or two. Alpine Meadows, with 14 feet of snow on Tahoe's west side, doesn't plan to close until May 16.

"The snow conditions are great, especially considering it is April and the mountain just received another 8 inches of snow last night," resort spokeswoman Rachael Woods said Monday.

By the end of the week, temperatures forecast for the high 50s to moderate 60s will take Reno back into the normal range.

"I think everyone is ready for spring to get here," McGuire said.