During winter storms in Reno-Sparks, higher elevations are usually hit harder than down in the valley.
Rolling Hills, a neighborhood off of Mount Rose Highway, is a neighborhood that usually gets higher snow levels.
Rolling Hills resident Kina Hernandez says she has become accustomed to the conditions, but this winter has been truly challenging.
"We get quite a bit, I'd say at least a couple inches more. But, the thing is that just down the hill the streets get watery and then they get cleared, and up here it just packs,” explained Hernandez.
Residents stay attuned to snow plows passing through their streets, and this year shoveling sidewalks and driveways has become a constant.
“And then we're out here and our neighbors, everybody is out at the same time, and we're always taking snow off our driveway, always. Because if we don't clear it it's going to get thicker, so it makes it really hard,” explained Hernandez.
Rolling Hills Resident Kelly Stein is the director of her local maintenance association. She tells us the neighborhood hadn't had a snow removal contract until last year.
She says the bill for snow removal this year has been high, just like the snow levels.
“With those bills haha, they've been big. About 8 times more than we budgeted, but it's been nice because we've had a ton of kids that walk our neighborhood, with the two schools nearby, and our neighbors that walk the neighborhood. And, so it's been a joy to have those sidewalks clear,” explained Stein.
We caught up with a couple walking their dog who had recently moved to the Rolling Hills neighborhood just a few years ago. They say the difference in snowfall is undeniable.
“We've been here for about three years. We came from down in the Damonte area, so there is definitely quite a bit of difference. We see feet, they see inches. And, so that's the shoveling. We bought a snow blower when we moved here. Down there we barely had a shovel,” said Rolling Hills resident Megan Lower.
Washoe County's Eric Crump says they have a robust snow plowing program that covers the county from all the way north to the Oregon border to all the way down to Carson City.
Crump says snow removal in the higher elevation neighborhoods requires different equipment.
"We use big loader plows up there, they have 14-foot blades. Big giant pieces of equipment, and that's what we primarily use in the Galena area, Mount Rose area, and up in Incline. So, it's a completely different piece of equipment that we can maneuver up there,” explained Community Services Department Operations Director Eric Crump.
Crump says that fortunately the breaks between our recent snowfalls has made it easier for crews to clean the streets. as opposed to long drawn out storms.
