Devendra Kumar
A powerful blizzard has ripped through the Sierra Nevada mountains, crippling a significant stretch of Interstate-80 in California and leaving tens of thousands of people without power. According to the National Weather Service in Reno, the blizzard is expected to reduce visibility to a quarter mile or less, with the heaviest snow expected to hit early Saturday. In some areas, up to 10ft of snow is forecast, with the backcountry warned of “high to extreme avalanche danger”.
The storm has already caused considerable disruptions, with authorities shutting down a 100-mile stretch of I-80 due to “spin outs, high winds, and low visibility”. There is no estimate yet on when the main road will reopen. Pacific Gas and Electric reported that over 24,000 households and businesses are without power. In a rare event, a tornado touched down on Friday afternoon in Madera County, causing damage to an elementary school.
The region’s ski resorts have been significantly impacted, with some resorts shutting down on Friday and planning to remain closed on Saturday to dig out before reopening on Sunday. Palisades Tahoe, the largest resort on the north end of Tahoe, is hoping to reopen some low-elevation slopes on Saturday, but will close all chairlifts at Alpine Meadows due to forecasts of “heavy snow and winds over 100mph”. Other outdoor activities have also been affected, with Yosemite National Park closing on Friday and officials warning that it will remain closed through at least noon on Sunday.
The National Weather Service has issued a 300-mile stretch of blizzard warnings lasting through Sunday morning, with meteorologists predicting as much as 10ft of snow is possible in the mountains around Lake Tahoe by the weekend, 3-6ft in the communities on the lake’s shores, and more than a foot possible in the valleys on the Sierra’s eastern front, including Reno. As the storm continues to rage, residents are being urged to take shelter and stay off the roads, with significant delays expected if the roads are reopened. The region is bracing for a prolonged period of heavy snow and strong winds, with the storm expected to continue through Sunday.