The snow which fell in Northern Nevada shortly after midnight on Wednesday created several calls for service for the Nevada Highway Patrol.

The nine-hour timeframe from approximately 1:00 am through 10:00 am resulted in 37 motor vehicle crashes throughout the entire region.  27 of those crashes were property damage only while the remaining 10 had some kind of injuries claimed or reported.  None of those crashes involved serious or life-threatening injuries.  

The stretch of Interstate 80 between the Vista Blvd and USA Parkway interchanges had several crashes during that nine-hour timeframe.  NHP also responded to several single-vehicle rollover crashes in the rural areas and most of the other collisions involved only one vehicle.

Additionally, NHP assisted with at least 15 spin-outs or slide-offs yesterday morning throughout the region.  Troopers also assisted dozens of motorists whose vehicles could not create traction on several roadways and highways to include travel lanes, entrance or exit ramps, and at multiple intersections on the city streets near our area highways, especially where there was any amount of an incline.

As for the afternoon and evening commute today, motorists should expect any thawed snow to refreeze potentially creating slick conditions throughout our area.  When temperatures start to fall close to the freezing mark, consider the roadway surfaces to be icy and not wet.  Be especially aware of black ice to form on bridges and below over-passes.  Additionally, motorists should plan on allowing more time for their commute by reducing their vehicle’s speed and maintaining a greater than normal following distance with other vehicles.