Winter Storm Troy Dumps Feet of Snow on Rockies and West, Hindering Travel

Sean Breslin
Published: March 31,2016

The pesky early-spring snowstorm known as Winter Storm Troy swept across the West and Rockies, bringing more than a foot of snow but also travel problems in several states.
Heavy snow forced the closure of Interstate 80 across much of Wyoming on Wednesday, according to the state's Department of Transportation. Earlier in the week, the storm also hindered travel in Reno, Nevada, and a dust storm on Troy's warm side was blamed for a 15-car pileup in Southern California.
(MORE: Snowy Week Ahead for Parts of the Rockies)
Here's a look at additional impacts from this winter storm.

Wyoming

Top snowfall total: 28.2 inches, near Lander
With the exception of cities where snow plows were available in large numbers, nearly the entire stretch of I-80 was closed Wednesday from Cheyenne to the Utah state line, according to the Wyoming DOT. Several other highways were closed in central and southern Wyoming as the snowfall increased in intensity Wednesday.
By Thursday, all major highways across the state had reopened.

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Jonathan Erdman ✔ ‎@wxjerdman

Most of ~350-mile stretch of I-80 closed from Evanston -> Cheyenne, WY due to #snow, wind. WyoDOT cams: #Troy #wywx

9:05 AM - 30 Mar 2016

Many schools and businesses were closed Wednesday due to the snowstorm.

Montana

Top snowfall total: 14 inches, multiple locations
Some 2,000 Billings homes and businesses lost power on Tuesday, and officials blamed the outage on wintry weather, according to the Billings Gazette.
Officials warned drivers to be careful on state roadways as Troy's impacts worsened in Montana, especially along I-90 between Billings and Livingston, according to the AP.

Utah

Top snowfall total: 22 inches, King's Cabin
Officials continued to search for a missing father in southern Utah as Troy dumped heavy snow and brought strong winds to the Beehive State on Tuesday. Daniel Brown, 34, was reported missing Monday afternoon when his truck was stranded in the Kane Springs area northwest of Parowan, KUTV.com reported. His family was found by deputies, but there has been no sign of Brown, Iron County Sheriff's Department Public Information Officer Lt. Del Schlosser told KUTV.com.
"We don't know his condition, that's what we're concerned about," Schlosser told KUTV.com. "Any tracks have been covered up."
During the storm, extremely strong winds were reported in some areas. A gust of 73 mph was clocked in Burntfork early Tuesday morning, according to storm reports from the National Weather Service.

Nevada

Top snowfall total: 35 inches, near Lamoille (estimated total at 7,700 feet elevation)
Troy brought heavy snow to Reno Monday morning, slowing travel considerably on Interstates 80 and 395 into and around the city during the morning rush hour. The snow fell at a rate of about an inch per hour Monday morning, according to the Associated Press.
"This is the most snow we've gotten all year," David Evans of Sparks told the AP while shoveling snow out of his driveway Monday morning. "It's crazy."
(MORE: Mount Rainier Climber Presumed Dead After Snowstorm)
Authorities said traffic was hardly moving along some stretches of those interstates starting at about 5 a.m. Monday morning, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. The snowy conditions led to several slide-offs and at least one jackknifed tractor-trailer, the report added.
Through 4 p.m. Monday, 8 of the more than 30 accidents resulted in injuries from accidents that occurred on snowy roads, the Gazette-Journal also reported. Another 45 motorists required assistance from the difficult conditions.

Up to a foot of snow fell in western Nevada on Monday. Reno officially received as much as 9.5 inches of snow, according to storm reports from the NWS. A wind gust of 78 mph was reported near Red Rock Canyon.
Many of the city's schools were on Spring Break this week, according to the Gazette-Journal, but Truckee Meadows Community College announced a delayed opening at 9 a.m. Monday morning.
Drivers were required to use chains or snow tires on several roads in the city, including I-80 and I-395, KTVN.com reported.

California

Top snowfall total: 14 inches, Northstar Ski Area
Strong winds associated with Winter Storm Troy created a blinding dust storm that caused a 15-vehicle pileup in Lucerne Valley, California, on Monday. The San Bernardino County Fire District tweeted images of the accident at Highway 18 and Rabbit Springs Road Monday afternoon, reporting 28 injuries.
The fire department said three people were taken to an area hospital for further treatment.
The dust storm began when 50-mph winds kicked up dirt from a dry lake bed near the highway, NBC Los Angeles said.
Northwest of San Francisco, three hikers were trapped halfway down a 200-foot unstable cliff at Point Reyes National Seashore overnight Tuesday, and two had to be airlifted to safety, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. One hiker was able to make it down onto the beach below, but the other two were stuck when a helicopter rescue had to be temporarily suspended due to bad weather conditions, the report added.
All of the hikers were rescued safely, but additional details have yet to be released, the Chronicle also said.
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In the higher elevations, some Sierra ski resorts said the snow from Troy would allow them to remain open until May, according to the Sacramento Bee. Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe resort said they'll be able to remain open until May 8, which will make the 2015-16 season the longest ever at the resort, the report added.
“Mother Nature came back in a big way this season, and (we) are still enjoying mid-winter conditions on the mountain,” Mike Pierce, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe’s marketing director, said in a statement. “The skiing and riding is so great, we’ve decided to extend the season into May, pushing the ski season to over six months and making this the longest season in Mt. Rose’s history.”