Truckee, CA…The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the Truckee area and a significant storm system is anticipated to last until Monday, January 9th. Moderate winds with 6-8 inches of precipitation are being forecasted at lake level with fluctuating rain levels possibly intensifying on Sunday. Residents and visitors are advised to be prepared for winter driving conditions and be aware of localized flooding on streets during the periods of heavy rain. Starting on Friday, January 6th, free sand bags will be available at Truckee Fire Station 92 located at 11473 Donner Pass Road as well as the Department of Public Works at 10969 Stevens Lane.

The current National Weather Service flow predictions for the Truckee River on Sunday and Monday are that the river will approach levels last seen on December 31, 2005. While those levels were extremely high, they did not result in damage to homes or roadways within the Town of Truckee. Similar to 2005, it is expected that some small streams and drainages in Town will overtop their banks, and that roadways will have significant standing or running water on their surfaces (particularly in areas where drainage is obstructed by snow). Homeowners whose properties sit on low ground or below street level should take precautionary measures such as moving personal property to higher ground, cleaning nearby street drains, sandbagging, and establishing drainage paths away from structures that sit in low lying areas. Town personnel will continue to monitor National Weather Service River Flow predictions for changes should they occur.

The Town of Truckee Police Department and Public Works Department are staffing additional personnel throughout the weekend and will be prepping roadways and drainage systems over the next 24 hours. Please exercise caution around snow removal equipment and be cautious of the additional personnel on roadways or if you see emergency vehicles.

The Truckee Police Department intends to keep the community informed throughout the weekend. We will be releasing Nixle updates with any road closures or local flooding notifications at predetermined times on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning. All other urgent notifications will be released as needed. The updates will be released as follows:
Saturday – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday – 10:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m.
Monday – 7:00 a.m. (in anticipation of commute traffic and roadway conditions)

It is extremely helpful if you plan ahead to limit travel on roadways as much as possible throughout the storm. Please rely on our updates to get the most current information rather than traveling around Town to see what the weather might be doing. Please remember conditions can change quickly during winter storms. If you have to drive, slow down, and allow extra time to arrive safely. Remember to carry tire chains, food, water, blankets, and a flashlight in your car in case of an emergency.

There is No Parking along Town maintained roadways from November 1st to April 30th. The primary reason for the parking restriction is for efficient snow removal operations and to reduce the likelihood of damage to parked vehicles. This is particularly important during significant storm activity so that crews have full access to remove snow and maximize drainage of standing water along roadways. This includes the areas from snow pole to the pavement edge and the right-of-way outside the snow poles.
For more information about the weather forecast, visit the Reno Weather Service website at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/rev/. A storm timeline prepared by the Weather Service is attached. To track Town of Truckee snow plows in real time click on https://www.511portal.com/truckee. I-80 conditions can be found by clicking on https://cad.chp.ca.gov/Traffic.aspx.

The Town also offers YourGOV, which is an interactive reporting/mapping service provided to the public for reporting concerns and complaints directly to the Department of Public Works. Once on the site, complete the information requested and submit. You can download this application for your smart phone as well. Thank you and remember to be cautious, courteous, safe, and patient.