Extreme Winter Storm in Northern California Causes Widespread Disruption
Blizzard conditions continued to slam Northern California over the weekend with damaging winds and heavy snow dumping on mountain ridges down to the valleys. Winter storm alerts remain across most western states, with blizzard warnings still in effect for the Sierra Nevada. The most extreme conditions are unfolding at the highest elevations in the mountains, with whiteout conditions and hurricane-force winds.
The snow has closed a 70-mile stretch of Interstate 80 near the Nevada state line for more than a day after highway officials reported stranded drivers Friday night. The Weather Prediction Center has warned of “high to extreme” avalanche danger through Sunday afternoon in the Central Sierra and Greater Lake Tahoe area.
About 5-12 feet of snow was forecast to fall along the crest of the Sierra by late Sunday, while damaging wind gusts “possibly in excess of 75 mph” could be expected across the Intermountain West, according to the Weather Prediction Center. “These winds will likely down trees and power lines, resulting in widespread power outages,” it said. “Moreover, cooler temperatures will usher into the West behind the initial front, lowering the snow levels down into many valleys.”
More than 15,000 homes and businesses were without power in California Sunday afternoon, down from nearly 40,000, according to the tracking website PowerOutage.us.
Whiteouts and ‘impossible’ travel conditions
Extreme snowfall and roaring winds in the Sierra and parts of the northern ranges mean blowing snow and whiteout conditions making travel “impossible,” the National Weather Service warned. The storm forced the closure of the main road to Mammoth Mountain ski resort, US 395, for hours Saturday due to whiteout conditions, according to the California Department of Transportation.
The snowy and windy conditions left some vehicles stuck on the road on Friday, with some motorists in need of rescue, according to the highway patrol office Truckee, which reported a “mass amount of vehicles stuck over Donner Summit.”
On Sunday morning, the highway patrol in Truckee shared video of snowy conditions and low visibility on a stretch of I-80, which remained closed on Sunday at Colfax and the Nevada state line as of 6 a.m. Pacific Time.
The severe winter storm conditions in Northern California posed issues for crews working Sunday to clear roadways of snow, which damaged some equipment. “We have been down to two of 10 blowers at our central hub in Kingvale and six out of 20 from Auburn to the Nevada state line,” California Department of Transportation officials said in a post on X.
In the South Lake Tahoe area, a snowslide trapped vehicles and briefly shut down Highway 50 Sunday morning. There were no injuries and crews quickly reopened the road, officials said.
Yosemite National Park, which closed Friday due to the storm, partially reopened to visitors Sunday afternoon, park officials announced on Facebook. Park officials warned visitors tire chains may be required for their vehicles and to check road conditions. A blizzard warning remains in effect for the park area until 7 p.m. on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford, California.
