White Christmas, Tough Travel

Whether by car, plane, or train, holiday travel over the next few days looks like it's going to be less than pleasant. The National Weather Service forecast for Reno and vicinity is calling for deteriorating conditions, starting with rain and snow on Wednesday. On Wednesday night and Christmas Day, a stronger storm will move in, bringing wind and snow to the valley floor. Up around Lake Tahoe and Truckee, 10 to 16 inches of snow is expected. Above 7000 feet, it could be one to three feet. Needless to say, auto travel over Sierra Nevada passes is going to be a slog. Start early, bring chains, and make sure you have warm clothes, blankets, food, and water in case you are delayed by the weather. Before heading out, check highway conditions for the route you plan to take.

Air travel is likely to be problematic as well. While Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RON) is fully equipped to deal with snow, your destination airport might not be. For example, the Seattle airport was recently snarled by a snow storm, and is going to get it again from the same storm that's headed our way. In the process of planning a Christmas visit with family, I bought a ticket to Seattle months ago, so I'll be watching this one real close. Once the dominos start to fall, the whole system goes to hell. If you're in mid-trip, you could be stuck somewhere you don't want to be for a long time. Here's hoping it doesn't happen to anyone.

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