Sierra Mountain Passes Closed as First Major Snowstorm of Season Hits
SACRAMENTO, CA – Several key Sierra Nevada mountain passes are closed through at least noon on Thursday due to heavy snowfall and winter conditions, Caltrans District 10 announced Friday. Ebbetts Pass on Highway 4, Sonora Pass on Highway 108, and Monitor Pass on Highway 89 are all currently shut down as a significant storm system impacts the region.
The closures come as the Sierra experiences its first substantial snowfall of the season, a system that began moving across Northern California on Monday. caltrans has closed Ebbetts Pass from Lake Alpine to Raymond Meadows, Sonora Pass from Kennedy Meadows to the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center near Leavitt Meadows, and the entirety of Monitor Pass between Highway 4 south of Markleeville and Highway 395 near Topaz Lake.
“We’ve had snowshowers move over the Sierra starting Monday, and that’s really accumulating Tuesday from the early morning into this evening,” said Dakari Anderson, a meteorologist wiht the National Weather Service’s sacramento office.
The National Weather Service forecasts rain showers will continue at lower elevations until Wednesday morning, potentially resuming Wednesday night. Higher elevations are expected to receive one to seven inches of snow.Snow levels began at 6,500 feet on Tuesday and dipped to 5,500 feet by Wednesday at midnight, before rising again to 6,000 feet by wednesday morning. Due to the mix of rain and snow, official snowfall reports are currently unavailable, Anderson noted.
Travelers are urged to check current road conditions, chain requirements, and any further closures by visiting Caltrans’ online QuickMap at https://quickmap-test.dot.ca.gov/.