Snow on Las Vegas Strip sets a record
Storm lets up in Nevada; record 17 inches fall in Spokane, Wash.
Dec. 18: Three inches of snow blanket the Las Vegas Strip as winter weather continues to spread across the country.
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Heavy snow falling across U.S.
Dec. 18: Snowy conditions continue to hit many cities across the U.S. with up to a foot expected in some areas of the Midwest. MSNBC's Jeff Ranieri reports.
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Snow on Vegas Strip
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updated 1:22 p.m. ET Dec. 18, 2008
Flights resumed in and out of Las Vegas, but schools and highways remained closed Thursday after a record-setting snowfall coated marquees on the Strip, weighed down palm trees and blanketed surrounding mountain areas.
The city awoke to clear weather after a storm that left 3.6 inches at McCarran International Airport. It was biggest December snowfall on record there, and the worst for any month since a 7 1/2-inch accumulation in January 1979, forecasters said.
The storm Wednesday and early Thursday also dumped snow or rain and snarled travel in other parts of Nevada, much of southern California and parts of northern Arizona.
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"It looks like Whoville, all snowy, but with less joy and more extreme misery," said Calen Weiss, 19, who was stuck Wednesday when snow in the Cajon Pass east of Los Angeles disrupted travel on Interstate 15.
In Spokane, Wash., the weather service recorded 17 inches of snow in the 24 hours that ended at 4 a.m., breaking the record of 13 inches set in 1984. The city declared a "Condition Red" snow emergency, meaning crews will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week until they complete a full city plow.
Heavy, wet snow on Strip
For Las Vegas, the storm left heavy wet accumulations of snow along the famed Strip. At least one carport toppled under the accumulated weight, authorities said, and motorists in Henderson parked their cars and walked home when tires spun as they tried to navigate slippery uphill climbs.
Airlines resumed flights Thursday after canceling dozens of them late Wednesday, McCarran airport spokesman Jerry Pascual said.
"Visibility has lifted. The outlook for the day is much better," Pascual said as the sun rose Thursday. Pascual said just one flight had gotten out overnight and stranded travelers were forced to sleep on lounge seats and floors at the nation's sixth-busiest airport
In Arizona, snow was widespread in the state's higher elevations, with 24-hour accumulations reaching 10 inches in Flagstaff by daybreak. An additional 2 to 3 inches of snow was expected. Authorities said major highways were open but advised drivers to be careful of packed snow and ice.
School district mocked
In the western Washington state, the Seattle School District had been mocked by some for closing schools Wednesday with just a threat of snow. The threat became a reality by early Thursday, when 2 inches of snow left many commuters spinning their wheels on slippery roads.
The National Weather Service said the city even had an episode of "thundersnow" when a storm cell moved across Puget Sound.
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Even Malibu, Calif., got a dusting of snow, as the usually balmy city saw a half-inch in the afternoon.
"It's kind of cool if you think about it, said Craig Levy, director of a juvenile detention camp. "It's kind of unusual to see snow in Malibu."
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But the snow also had a deadly side. On Tuesday, three young women were found dead in a car near the Squaw Valley ski resort north of Lake Tahoe, apparently the victims of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The car's engine was running when a security guard found the bodies of 22-year-old Lacey Louann Sutton of Marysville, 21-year-old Sara Alice McCullah of Marysville and a 17-year-old girl from Loma Rica. The name of the 17-year-old was not released.
Placer County sheriff's Lt. Allan Carter said the women were apparently sleeping in the car, which was covered in snow. Carter said the car's tailpipe appeared to be blocked by snow, allowing carbon monoxide to leak into the vehicle.
McCullah's mother said McCullah and Sutton had moved to the area to find work at the resort.
And in the Santa Clarita area north of Los Angeles, a wind gust caused a helicopter to crash on Wednesday, killing an electrical worker on the ground and leaving the pilot with minor injuries, county fire Inspector Frank Garrido said.
