A massive blizzard howls in the Sierra Nevada. High winds and heavy snow close roads and ski resorts
A powerful blizzard that a meteorologist termed “as bad as it gets” is howling in the Sierra Nevada mountains
TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — A powerful blizzard that a meteorologist termed “as bad as it gets” howled in the Sierra Nevada mountains, closing a long stretch of Interstate 80 in Northern California, forcing ski resorts to shut down, and leaving thousands of homes without power.
More than 10 feet (3 meters) of snow was expected at higher elevations, National Weather Service meteorologist William Churchill said Saturday, creating a “life-threatening concern” for residents near Lake Tahoe and blocking travel on the key east-west freeway.
“It’s a blizzard,” said Dubravka Tomasin, a resident of Truckee, California, for more than a decade. “It’s pretty harrowing.”
Kyle Frankland, a veteran snow-plow driver, said several parts of his rig broke as he cleared wet snow underneath piles of powder.
“I’ve been in Truckee 44 years. This is a pretty good storm,” Frankland said. “It’s not record-breaking by any means, but it’s a good storm.”
Churchill said snow totals by late Sunday would range from 5 to 12 feet (1.5 to 3.6 meters), with the highest accumulations at elevations above 5,000 feet (1,500 meters). Lower elevations were inundated with heavy rain.
He called the storm an “extreme blizzard for the Sierra Nevada, in particular, as well as other portions of Nevada and even extending into Utah and portions of western Colorado.” But he said he didn’t expect records to be broken.
“It’s certainly just about as bad as it gets in terms of the snow totals and the winds,” Churchill said. “It doesn’t get much worse than that.”
A second, weaker storm was forecast to bring an additional 1 to 2 feet of snow in the region between Monday and Wednesday next week, according to the National Weather Service office in Sacramento.
Near Lake Tahoe, Thomas Petkanas, a bartender at Alibi Ale Works in Incline Village, Nevada, said about 3 feet (1 meter) of snow had fallen by midday Saturday. He said patrons shook off snow as they arrived at the brewpub and restaurant.
“It’s snowing pretty hard out there, really windy, and power is out to about half the town,” Petkanas said by telephone. “We’re one of the few spots open today.”
Adele Attix said her husband spent the morning clearing their driveway while she worried about whether she would be able to open her consignment clothing store in Truckee. She said Saturdays are usually the busiest day of the week.
“I’d say more than anything, just knowing if we’re going to open or not has probably caused the most amount of stress,” Attix said. “I figured I’d come down here and check out the shop.”
Earlier, the weather service warned that blowing snow was creating “extremely dangerous to impossible” driving conditions, with wind gusts in the high mountains at more than 100 mph (160 kph).
Avalanche danger was “high to extreme” in backcountry areas through Sunday evening throughout the central Sierra and greater Lake Tahoe area, the weather service said.
California authorities on Friday shut down 100 miles (160 kilometers) of I-80, the main route between Reno and Sacramento, because of “spin outs, high winds, and low visibility.” There was no estimate when the freeway would reopen from the California-Nevada border west of Reno to near Emigrant Gap, California.
Travel was treacherous east of the Sierra, where CalTrans also cited “multiple spin outs and collisions” and “whiteout conditions,” as it closed 90 miles (145 kilometers) of U.S. 395 from near Bishop in the Owens Valley to Bridgeport, north of Mono Lake.
Pacific Gas & Electric reported about 7,468 California homes and businesses without power at 5:56 p.m. NV Energy reported power outages for about 1,500 customers in parts of northern Nevada, including Incline Village and Reno.
In southern Nevada the weather service issued a warning Saturday for high winds gusting to 70 mph (145 kph). NV Energy reported almost 29,000 customers without power in and around Las Vegas on Saturday, but by that evening the number had been reduced to about 16,000.
A tornado Friday afternoon in Madera County, California, damaged an elementary school, said Andy Bollenbacher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Hanford.
Some ski resorts shut down Friday and were digging out Saturday with an eye toward reopening Sunday.
Palisades Tahoe, the largest resort on the north end of Tahoe and site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, closed all chairlifts Saturday because of snow, wind and low visibility.
Other areas closed Saturday included Sugar Bowl, Boreal and Sierra. Heavenly Mountain Resort planned to open late with limited operations.
The storm began barreling into the region Thursday. A blizzard warning through Sunday morning covers a 300-mile (480-kilometer) stretch of the mountains.
Some ski lovers raced up to the mountains ahead of the storm.
Daniel Lavely, an avid skier who works at a Reno-area home/construction supply store, was not one of them. He said Friday that he wouldn’t have considered making the hour-drive to ski on his season pass at a Tahoe resort because of the gale-force winds.
But most of his customers Friday seemed to think the storm wouldn’t be as bad as predicted, he said.
“I had one person ask me for a shovel,” Lavely said. “Nobody asked me about a snowblower, which we sold out the last storm about two weeks ago.”
Meteorologists predicted as much as 10 feet (3 meters) of snow was possible in the mountains around Lake Tahoe by the weekend, with 3 to 6 feet (0.9 to 1.8 meters) in the communities on the lake’s shores and more than a foot (30 centimeters) possible in the valleys on the Sierra’s eastern front, including Reno.
Yosemite National Park closed Friday. Officials said it would remain closed through at least noon Sunday.
Ritter reported from Las Vegas. Associated Press reporters Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada; Janie Har in San Francisco; Julie Walker in New York; and Hollie Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed.
A lone camper truck moves north bound on the I-80 at the Donner Pass Exit on Friday, March 1, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. The most powerful Pacific storm of the season is forecast to bring up to 10 feet of snow into the Sierra Nevada by the weekend.
Workers attempt to clear a road with snow blowers during a snowstorm, Friday, March 1, 2024, in Truckee, Calif.
Skiers hurry along The Village at Northstar California Resort as snow falls on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. The most powerful Pacific storm of the season started barreling into the Sierra Nevada on Thursday, packing multiple feet of snow and dangerous winds that forecasters say will create blizzard conditions likely to close major highways and trigger power outages into the weekend.
West bound traffic moves slowly on the I-80 at the Donner Pass Exit on Friday, March 1, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. The most powerful Pacific storm of the season is forecast to bring up to 10 feet of snow into the Sierra Nevada by the weekend.
Juan Manuel plows the snow off the sidewalk in front of The Bar of American where he is employed on Friday, March 1, 2024, in downtown Truckee, Calif. The most powerful Pacific storm of the season is forecast to bring up to 10 feet of snow into the Sierra Nevada by the weekend
Juan Manuel plows the snow off the sidewalk in front of The Bar of American where he is employed on Friday, March 1, 2024, in downtown Truckee, Calif. The most powerful Pacific storm of the season is forecast to bring up to 10 feet of snow into the Sierra Nevada by the weekend
Mail carrier Kirsten Toner scraps the snow of her delivery truck as he preps to make her deliveries on Friday, March 1, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. The most powerful Pacific storm of the season is forecast to bring up to 10 feet of snow into the Sierra Nevada by the weekend
A person walks along a covered Jibboom Street on Friday, March 1, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. The most powerful Pacific storm of the season is forecast to bring up to 10 feet of snow into the Sierra Nevada by the weekend
A person walks along a covered Jibboom Street on Friday, March 1, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. The most powerful Pacific storm of the season is forecast to bring up to 10 feet of snow into the Sierra Nevada by the weekend
local runner Jenelle Potvin goes on her daily jog along Bridge Street on Friday, March 1, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. The most powerful Pacific storm of the season is forecast to bring up to 10 feet of snow into the Sierra Nevada by the weekend
West bound traffic moves slowly on the I-80 at the Donner Pass Exit on Friday, March 1, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. The most powerful Pacific storm of the season is forecast to bring up to 10 feet of snow into the Sierra Nevada by the weekend.
Skiers enjoy a day of skiing and snow fall at North Star California Resort on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, Truckee, Calif. The most powerful Pacific storm of the season started barreling into the Sierra Nevada on Thursday, packing multiple feet of snow and dangerous winds that forecasters say will create blizzard conditions likely to close major highways and trigger power outages into the weekend.
West bound traffic moves slowly on the I-80 at the Donner Pass Exit on Friday, March 1, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. The most powerful Pacific storm of the season is forecast to bring up to 10 feet of snow into the Sierra Nevada by the weekend.
Parked vehicles are covered in snow during a storm Friday, March 1, 2024, in Truckee, Calif.
A worker clears a road with a snow blower during a snowstorm, Friday, March 1, 2024, in Truckee, Calif.
A mail carrier loads a mail truck with mail on Friday, March 1, 2024, in Lake Tahoe, Calif. The most powerful Pacific storm of the season is forecast to bring up to 10 feet of snow into the Sierra Nevada by the weekend
Workers clear sidewalks with snow blowers during a snowstorm, Friday, March 1, 2024, in Truckee, Calif.
A sign warms motorists of parking restrictions as snow falls Friday, March 1, 2024, in Truckee, Calif.
A motorist drives along Interstate 80 eastbound in Truckee, Calif., on Friday, March 1, 2024. California authorities shut down 100 miles of Interstate 80 on Friday as the biggest snow storm of the season bore down on the Sierra Nevada, where residents were urged to take shelter and stay off roads as they prepared for up to 10 feet of snow in some areas and damaging winds.
In this photo provided by Mammoth Lakes Tourism, snow falls at the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., Friday, March 1, 2024. A California blizzard warning through Sunday morning covers a 300-mile (482-kilometer) stretch of the mountains.
Snow accumulates on bicycles at a condominium complex at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Truckee hotel in Truckee, Calif., Friday, March 1, 2024.
Jeremy Fuentes, left, and Jarad Baldwin, right, of San Francisco, snowboard at Northstar California Resort in Truckee, Calif., on Friday, March 1, 2024.
A sign for Interstate 80 westbound is covered with snow in Truckee, Calif., on Friday, March 1, 2024. California authorities shut down 100 miles of Interstate 80 on Friday as the biggest snow storm of the season bore down on the Sierra Nevada, where residents were urged to take shelter and stay off roads as they prepared for up to 10 feet of snow in some areas and damaging winds.
A woman walks her dogs through the snow at a condominium complex near the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Truckee hotel in Truckee, Calif., Friday, March 1, 2024.
In this photo provided by Mammoth Lakes Tourism, snow falls at the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., Friday, March 1, 2024. A California blizzard warning through Sunday morning covers a 300-mile (482-kilometer) stretch of the mountains.
Chains are installed on a big rig’s tires during a storm, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. A powerful blizzard howled Saturday in the Sierra Nevada as the biggest storm of the season shut down a long stretch of Interstate 80 in California and gusty winds and heavy rain hit lower elevations, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power.
A person tries to clear snow from a road during a storm, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. A powerful blizzard howled Saturday in the Sierra Nevada as the biggest storm of the season shut down a long stretch of Interstate 80 in California and gusty winds and heavy rain hit lower elevations, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power.
A mailbox and the roof of a home are covered in snow during a storm, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. A powerful blizzard howled Saturday in the Sierra Nevada as the biggest storm of the season shut down a long stretch of Interstate 80 in California and gusty winds and heavy rain hit lower elevations, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power.
A person uses a shovel trying to clear snow from a property during a storm, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. A powerful blizzard howled Saturday in the Sierra Nevada as the biggest storm of the season shut down a long stretch of Interstate 80 in California and gusty winds and heavy rain hit lower elevations, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power.
Snow covers the landscape in front of a store, during a storm, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. A powerful blizzard howled Saturday in the Sierra Nevada as the biggest storm of the season shut down a long stretch of Interstate 80 in California and gusty winds and heavy rain hit lower elevations, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power.
Snow covers the shore on Donner Lake, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. A powerful blizzard howled Saturday in the Sierra Nevada as the biggest storm of the season shut down a long stretch of Interstate 80 in California and gusty winds and heavy rain hit lower elevations, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power.
Vehicles make their way along a snow-covered road during a storm, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. A powerful blizzard howled Saturday in the Sierra Nevada as the biggest storm of the season shut down a long stretch of Interstate 80 in California and gusty winds and heavy rain hit lower elevations, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power.
Snow covers a property, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. A powerful blizzard howled Saturday in the Sierra Nevada as the biggest storm of the season shut down a long stretch of Interstate 80 in California and gusty winds and heavy rain hit lower elevations, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power.
A person walks with a dog on a snow-covered road during a storm, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. A powerful blizzard howled Saturday in the Sierra Nevada as the biggest storm of the season shut down a long stretch of Interstate 80 in California and gusty winds and heavy rain hit lower elevations, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power.
A person uses a snow blower to clear snow from a driveway during a storm, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. A powerful blizzard howled Saturday in the Sierra Nevada as the biggest storm of the season shut down a long stretch of Interstate 80 in California and gusty winds and heavy rain hit lower elevations, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power.
Snow is cleared from sidewalks in front of businesses during snow storm, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in downtown Truckee, Calif.
A group of friends ski on a residential street during a snowstorm, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif.
Workers clear snow in a residential neighborhood, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif.
Residents try to clear snow during a storm, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif.
Crews clears trees along Donner Lake, where power was lost due to a snow storm, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif.
Crews clears trees along Donner Lake, where power was lost due to a snow storm, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif.
Brothers Bob and Ron Barrett, of Klamath Falls, from left, snowshoe in downtown Truckee, Calif., on Saturday, March 2, 2024. They couldn’t get their truck out of a nearby parking lot because of all of the snow.
People walk along Donner Pass Road as snow continues to fall in downtown Truckee, Calif., on Saturday, March 2, 2024.
Employee Juan Manuel clears snow from in front of Bar of America in downtown Truckee, Calif., on Saturday, March 2, 2024.
Jose Cervantes clears snow from Church Street in downtown Truckee, Calif., on Saturday, March 2, 2024.
Employee Randy Calvert clears a path outside Mountain Hardware & Sports during a snowstorm in Truckee, Calif., on Saturday, March 2, 2024.
A sign is buried in deep snow along Highway 89 outside of Tahoe City, Calif., on Saturday, March 2, 2024.
Adirana Chacon, of Walnut Creek, walks with her daughter Alicia, 2, to see the snow for the first time after stopping to put chains on their vehicle on U.S. 50 near Pollock Pines, Calif., Saturday, March 2, 2024. Chain control was in effect from Pollack Pines to Echo Summit after a blizzard brought heavy snow to the Sierra Nevada.
Hailee Lind shovels snow from the shopping cart corral in the parking lot of Safeway in Camino, Calif., Saturday, March 2, 2024.
