Silver State Times

Gov. Steve Sisolak recently declared a state of emergency in response to snow and storm conditions impeding travel in the Lake Tahoe region of northern Nevada, according to the Associated Press.

The emergency declaration enabled state officials to reroute motorists driving on mountain roads to lower elevations until the inclement weather passed and the highways are safe for travel, according to a release issued by Sisolak's office Dec. 28. 

"The emergency will allow officials to order cars to head back into the valley until conditions subside and the roadways are safe," Sisolak announced on Twitter. "This will help prevent motorists from becoming stranded, potentially running out of gas in subfreezing temperatures without emergency services."

Highway 207 and Highway 28 were facing major delays and dangerous conditions and officials needed to clear the routes to accommodate emergency vehicles and snowplows, according to the release. 

A winter weather warning was in effect around Lake Tahoe until 10 p.m. on Dec. 29, with an additional couple of inches of snow anticipated at lake level and up to six inches at elevations over 7,000 feet.

Additionally, the National Weather Service reported that the area will experience its "coldest air in nearly five years," with temperatures in Reno dropping to the single digits by Dec. 31 and plunging below zero in the Sierra and surrounding Lake Tahoe by Jan. 1-2.