The Dec. 20, 2023, R-C Morning Report

Genoa, Nev. — Minden-Tahoe Airport was reporting near zero visibility at around 4 a.m. thanks in part to the fog brought on by 100 percent humidity. The Highway 395 traffic camera was showing dense fog at around 4 a.m. That has cleared since and the airport is reporting increased visibility.

For a while there last night, it was snowing hard enough in the mountains that a deputy inquired about the state’s snowplow availability. There were four. From my review of the traffic cameras this morning, Kingsbury and Highway 50 appear clear.

The closest road controls to Douglas are on Highway 88 from Mesa Vista all the way to Mormon Emigrant Trail on the other side of the Sierra. According to the CHP, Monitor, Ebbetts and Sonora passes are all closed for the stormy weather.

On Tuesday, East Fork Fire Protection District trustees approved a contract with Scott Gorgon to continue as operations chief through the end of the fiscal year on June 30 and allowing Chief Tod Carlini to extend it on a month-to-month basis.

Trustees also said farewell to Finance Director Kathy Lewis, who is taking over as Chief Financial Officer for the county. Filling that position will be just the first personnel hurdle for the district in 2024.

Speaking of hiring, the county is seeking applicants for the planning commission and the audit committee, among others, through 5 p.m. Jan. 5. For a list of vacancies visit the Douglas County website at www.douglascountynv.gov/government/county_boards_and_commissions and click on “Vacancies”. Click on “Apply” to complete an application.

Snow telemetry showed Heavenly Valley got 3 inches of snow overnight, with 5 inches in the last 24 hours. I’ve got another fifth of an inch of rain in my gauge north of Genoa this morning. Fredericksburg received .32 inches over the last 24 hours, according to the Weather Service.

The rain is supposed to abate some today with areas of fog. The snow level is at 7,000 feet under mostly cloudy skies and a high temperature of 45 degrees. A north breeze is forecast to pick up to 5 mph this afternoon.

Kurt Hildebrand is editor of The Record-Courier. Contact him at khildebrand@recordcourier.com or 775-782-5122.