Powerful blizzard dumps more than 10 feet of snow on California, disrupting traffic

A powerful snowstorm is raging across California, with wind gusts exceeding 190 mph and dumping more than 10 feet of snow, leaving drivers stranded on roads and forcing ski resorts to close.

The northern Sierra Nevada region is expected to receive 7 to 12 inches of snow at lower elevations and 18 to 24 inches at higher elevations, resulting in enhanced snow dumps at higher elevations. according to to the National Weather Service (NWS). Visibility will be less than a quarter of a mile.

Busy Interstate 80 connects Lake Tahoe to San Francisco. closed Because of the storm.

“At one point, emergency personnel and a tow truck had difficulty accessing the driver due to the snowstorm,” the California Highway Patrol said. Posted Saturday morning on X, formerly known as Twitter. Patrols are advising residents to remain at home.

Police were working Saturday to clear the highway with snow plowed vehicles after drivers left the highway to get to safety.

N.W.S. warned Strong winds and heavy snow can cause power outages and tree damage.

Palisades Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe is experiencing strong winds due to one gust of wind. recorded Friday night at 190 mph.

The storm began hitting the area Saturday, prompting a blizzard warning for about 300 miles. The heavy snowfall will continue into Sunday morning, with at times exceeding 2 inches per hour, according to the report. N.W.S..