A powerful winter storm hit the Sierra Nevada region of California on Saturday, bringing heavy snowfall and gusts of wind that reached up to 190 mph, making it the most intense blizzard of the season so far. The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for the area, advising residents to stay indoors and avoid travel.
The storm brought significant accumulations of snow to the higher elevations, causing the closure of several key roads leading to popular tourist destinations such as Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Mountain. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced the closure of State Route 50 from Placerville to Echo Summit and Interstate 80 from Colfax to Truckee due to treacherous road conditions.
According to Caltrans spokesperson Steve Nelson, “We’re asking people to avoid unnecessary travel, especially in the Sierra Nevada region. We anticipate these closures will last through the weekend as we work to clear the snow and assess any damage to the roads.”
The heavy snowfall and strong winds also disrupted power supplies in some areas. According to PG&E spokesperson J.D. Guidi, “We are experiencing outages due to the heavy snow and high winds. Our crews are working to restore power as safely and quickly as possible.”
The weather service reported that the storm was bringing between 1 to 3 feet of snow to the Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Mountain areas, with local reports suggesting even higher accumulations. The storm also brought significant precipitation to the lower elevations, with the Sacramento area receiving around 2 inches of rain.
The powerful blizzard is expected to continue through Sunday before gradually weakening. The National Weather Service advises residents to stay informed about the storm’s progress and to avoid unnecessary travel.
1. California Department of Transportation:
2. National Weather Service:
3. PG&E: