The National Weather Service is calling for high-wind and dangerous storm conditions beginning today and through the weekend. Washoe County urges residents to prepare for potential power outages and difficult travel.

The Washoe County Regional Emergency Operations Center (REOC) is monitoring the storm and working with all partners to ensure complete situational awareness of the storm. If necessary, the REOC will be activated to respond and deploy resources. As a standard practice, residents should stock a three-day supply of food, water, batteries, and personal necessities.  

Snow removal and Road Safety

This is a multi-day event that may impact things like mail delivery, garbage/recycling service, and travel. Please plan ahead, expect slow travel and icy roads, and stay home if you can. Remove parked cars, garbage cans, etc., to allow our snow plow operators to do their jobs efficiently. Washoe County Roads crews maintain more than 1,000 miles of paved and gravel roads. Crews will focus on Priority 1 routes first, so expect accumulations on the Priority 2 & 3 routes. View routes here. Incline Village/Crystal Bay residents can view the real-time status of snow plows in their neighborhoods with our “Where Is My Plow” map here. Report roadway problems at 775-328-2180.

Travel 

Check the Nevada Department of Transportation roads webcams or call 1-877-NV-ROADS for real-time road conditions and be prepared for possible delays. 

Traffic Signals

To report traffic signal issues, call 775-335-7623. 

Mountain safety

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for mountain locations including the Greater Lake Tahoe Area. Life-threatening conditions are expected Friday morning through Saturday morning, and whiteout conditions with near-zero visibility. Travel is not advised, but if it is necessary, prepare with water, food, and blankets. Practice extreme caution if recreating in mountain areas and stay out of backcountry locations that may be prone to avalanches.

General Safety

• Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, outdoor use or portable space heater. Have a 3-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
• Never use gas-powered appliances or other appliances intended for outdoor use indoors.
• Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed and never use an extension cord or power strip to power them.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• Never use a portable generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, sheds or similar areas. Deadly levels of carbon monoxide (CO) can quickly build up in these areas and can linger for hours, even after the generator has shut off.
• Use flashlights or battery-powered lanterns if available. If you must use candles, make sure the area is ventilated since candles emit combustion products and, if left unattended, can be a fire hazard.

Flooding

Washoe County will respond to emergencies and flooded areas in unincorporated Washoe County. To report a problem, please call Washoe311 at 3-1-1 or 775-328-2003. Service requests can also be made online here.  

To report a problem within the City of Reno, please call Reno Direct at 775-344-INFO (4636).  

To report a problem within the City of Sparks, please call 775-353-2231 or download the city’s new My Sparks app.  

Electricity 

Heavy snow can damage trees, which in turn can damage power lines. If you suspect damage to a power line, do not go anywhere near it. We encourage residents to review NV Energy’s outage preparation tips so they are prepared ahead of any possible outage. Through NV Energy’s outage center, customers can stay up to date on the number of outages, outage causes, number of customers impacted and estimated time of restoration. Report downed power lines to 9-1-1 and NV Energy’s emergency line: 775-834-4100.

NV Energy also encourages customers to update their contact information in MyAccount and to sign up in MyAccount for personalized alerts direct to your mobile phone.

Vulnerable Residents

Those who may be experiencing homelessness or need immediate shelter can go to the Resource Center at the Nevada Cares Campus, 1800 Threlkel Street, Reno. Case workers may be able to provide resources for temporary housing or other care, and the emergency shelter has nearly 600 beds with 84 emergency overflow cots as well. If an unhoused individual arrives at the Nevada Cares Campus and there is no available bed in the emergency shelter, they will be able to stay the night in the winter overflow on a first come, first served basis. Each person will be provided a bed, linens, and a locker to secure personal items. There is a warming center that is available 24/7 that serves lunch and dinner every day. Learn more about the Nevada Cares Campus and view the availability of beds and resources here.  

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