A massive snowstorm hitting the West Coast shows no signs of letting up until Monday, with parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains expected to be buried under up to 100 inches of snow this weekend.
Widespread travel suspensions were implemented in California and Nevada amid life-threatening conditions as fast-falling snow and hurricane-force winds up to nearly 200 miles per hour rocked the highlands.
Lake Tahoe’s Palisades Ski Resort recorded several wind gusts in excess of 150 mph during Friday’s storm, including one measured at 190 mph.
The National Weather Service says blizzards, blizzards and whiteout conditions can make travel “impossible.”
Snowdrifts from the storm will reach several stories high, According to AccuWeather.
“We’re going to see unrelenting weather probably into Monday morning,” Fox Weather meteorologist Cody Blood told the Post. “There’s no break, so by the time it’s all said and done, the total snowfall will probably be in the triple digits.”
Donner Pass, just west of the California-Nevada border, and many ski resorts in the Sierra Nevada are expected to receive 6 to 10 feet of powder.
As of Friday, Lake Tahoe’s Sugar Bowl Resort had reported 20 inches of rain, but Brad predicted that amount would likely double by the end of the storm.
“With unrelenting snowstorm conditions at all resorts, it’s extremely dangerous to even think about traveling or going out, and there’s no chance of getting your vacation back,” Brad said.
California authorities closed 160 miles of Interstate 80 on Friday, and residents were urged to evacuate and stay off the road. The section remained closed as of Saturday morning, with no set date for reopening, the California Highway Patrol said in a post on X.
The storm forced the closure of Yosemite National Park and the highways heading south to Sequioa National Park and Kings Canyon National Park. Avalanches can occur in backcountry areas.
Arashi has the potential to become one of those bigger than sierra nevada I’ve seen it before.
But the silver lining is that mountainous regions desperately needed snow this year and lacked it. “This will compensate for that and even to some extent,” Brad said.
In this region, “snowbanks” are needed for the warmer months when there is usually less rain.layer of snow Acts as a natural reservoir, Provides water throughout the dry summer months.
Even as winter rages on in the West, there are signs of spring in the air for New Yorkers, with temperatures expected to be near 60 degrees on a warm, sunny Sunday.
This will be followed by a gloomy week of early spring showers. Rain is possible Monday night and early Tuesday, and Wednesday night into Thursday.
The United States experienced its warmest winter on record this year, according to data. According to AccuWeather.
More than 700 days of snow in the Big Apple ended in January, but the city had one of the warmest winters on record, with average temperatures 8 to 12 degrees warmer than historical averages.
