The record low temperature for Nov. 29 snapped like a frozen twig on Monday when the mercury plunged to minus 12 in Minden.

Weather watcher Stan Kapler reported the new low temperature to The Record-Courier on Monday morning, saying the temperature at 8 a.m. had risen to minus 7 degrees.

"All three of my thermometers said minus 12," Kapler said Monday. "I left one alone in case no one believed me."

Fellow weather watcher Julian Larrouy reported the temperature dipped to minus 12 in Centerville as well. Both places are located in the lowest portion of the Valley.

According to the U.S. Weather Service, the record temperature was 3 below zero set in 1975. The record for November and December is 22 below zero set on Dec. 21, 1990.

The cold temperatures followed a strong, wet storm, and preserved a blanket of icy snow on the Valley floor.

Snow began to fall in western Nevada on Saturday morning and didn't let up until about 2 p.m. Accumulations of 81Ú2 inches were reported in Minden. Weather watcher George Uebele reported 10.3 inches of snow fell in Sheridan Acres at the base of the Sierra's Carson Range.

Kapler said the snow contained more than a half inch of moisture on Saturday and .37 inches on Sunday, bringing the total precipitation to 3.17 inches since July.

Temperatures climbed back above zero on Tuesday morning and the weather is expected to warm up into the teens over the next several days.

A spokeswoman for Jack Rabbit Plumbing said the firm had several calls for broken pipes on Monday.

Nevada Highway Patrol troopers are saying cold temperatures contributed to a fatal accident on Highway 395 at Cradlebaugh Bridge Saturday afternoon.

A Carson City man was killed Saturday afternoon after his pickup hit a patch of ice.

Morgan Petersen, 52, was southbound on Highway 395 in a 1993 Ford pickup when he lost control and the pickup struck the cement bridge at about 4:20 p.m. The Ford careened across both southbound lanes and into the dirt median where it overturned.

According to the Nevada Highway Patrol, Petersen was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected out of the passenger side window and was struck in the head.

He was taken away from the accident by ambulance and pronounced dead a short time later.

Troopers believe alcohol may have contributed to the accident.

Public Information officer Todd Hartline asked that motorists reduce their speeds and allow for greater stopping distance. They should always buckle their seat belts.

Dozens of minor accidents took place on Saturday as slick roads led to fender benders all around the area.

Hundreds of stranded passengers awaited flights out of Reno-Tahoe International Airport on Sunday, after the snowstorm and an equipment malfunction forced dozens of flights to be canceled or delayed, the Associated Press reported.

About 2,000 people were unable to book flights out of the city until Monday or Tuesday because most flights were already full on the airport's busiest day of the year, spokesman Brian Kulpin said.

The airport traditionally handles 11,000 passengers on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Preventing Frozen Water Pipes

Pipes in unheated buildings or crawl spaces can be prone to freezing during the cold winter temperatures experienced in some regions of the country. While sometimes this results in simply an inconvenient loss of water in certain parts of the home, it can become more serious when water freezes and expands inside the pipe, because the pipe can burst, potentially causing extensive water damage.

To help consumers avoid problems due to frozen pipes, here are some tips to follow when the temperature in your community dips below freezing this winter.

- Let a thin stream of cold water run from a faucet. The stream should be a continuous flow, about the thickness of a pencil. This water can be caught in a bucket or pail to be recycled later as laundry or dishwater.

- Be sure pipes in unheated parts of your home or crawl space are insulated. Many hardware and home improvement stores carry foam insulation for this purpose.

- Leave interior cupboard doors under sinks open, especially if the water pipes are adjacent to an exterior wall.

- Plug drafty cracks and repair broken windows that allow cold air to get inside where pipes are located.

- Shut off and drain pipes leading to outside faucets.

- If you leave your home for several weeks during the winter, have someone regularly check your home to be sure the heat is on and that no pipes have frozen or burst. You can also check with your local water department to see if they offer a seasonal shutoff service. You can have them shut your water service off at the street, then have a plumber come in and drain your pipes, hot water tank, etc.

- Be sure you know the location of the main water shutoff valve in your home. Check it periodically to ensure it works properly.

If you lose water service in one or more areas of the home, check to see if you can isolate the frozen location. Common areas that freeze first are pipes located adjacent to exterior walls or where the water service enters the home through the foundation. Apply heat to the suspected section of exposed pipe with one of the following methods.

•An electric hair dryer, carpet sweeper exhaust or a light bulb in the area of the freeze.

•Heat tape can be used, with care taken to install according to manufacturer 's specifications.

Never attempt to thaw pipes with a torch or other open flames - such methods risk starting a fire. If you are unable to thaw the pipe yourself, contact your local water department, landlord, or a plumber for professional assistance in thawing your pipes.

For further safety tips, visit the NSF consumer Web site at www.nsf.org.

Source: NSF Int'l Plumbing Program