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Sierra Snowstorm Closes I-80, Cuts Power To Thousands

RENO, Nev. (AP) -- A Sierra snowstorm packing high winds downed a power line along Interstate 80 in west Reno, forcing the temporary closure of the highway at midday on Tuesday and leaving more than 3,300 people without electricity.

The California Highway Patrol reopened a stretch of I-80 over the top of the mountains west of the Nevada-California line that had been shut down earlier Tuesday due to poor visibility.

But the power line's proximity to the interstate required authorities to reroute traffic again at about 11 a.m. as utility crews worked to restore power in northwest Reno.

A winter storm warning remained in effect Tuesday afternoon in western Nevada, where 2 to 5 inches of snow was expected in the valleys. About a foot was expected around Lake Tahoe.

(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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