A powerful snowstorm that has been hitting the Sierra Nevada since Friday was expected to ease Sunday, but residents shouldn’t put away their shovels just yet as more heavy snow is on the way.
The National Weather Service said conditions will improve Sunday as winds ease, but precipitation will quickly return, bringing heavy snow to some areas and rain to others.
“We still have some showers, especially in the Sierra Nevada, that will continue throughout the afternoon and eventually taper off tonight,” said Justin Collins, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno. “This is sort of the end of the storm, so to speak. There will be a few more waves coming in early this week.”
It wasn’t much of a respite after days of storms that one meteorologist called “the worst.” Northern California’s major east-west highways were closed, ski resorts closed and thousands of homes and businesses lost power.
By Sunday morning, Pacific Gas & Electric had restored power to all but about 7,000 customers in California, while NV Energy had reduced that number to about 1,000 homes and businesses. Additionally, some ski resorts were planning to reopen, albeit with delayed start times and limited operations.
“We are not out of the woods yet,” Sierra at Tahoe officials posted on the resort’s website.
National Weather Service meteorologist William Churchill said Saturday that more than 10 feet (3 meters) of snow is expected in higher elevations, posing “life-threatening concerns” for residents near Lake Tahoe and blocking major east-west highways. He said it would obstruct traffic.
A second, weaker storm is expected to bring an additional 1 to 2 feet of snow to the region next Monday through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento.
About 3 feet (1 meter) of snow had fallen by noon Saturday, said Thomas Petkanas, a bartender at Alibi Ale Works in Incline Village, Nevada, near Lake Tahoe. He said patrons arrived at the brewpub and restaurant shaking off snow.
The Bureau of Meteorology earlier warned that wind gusts of more than 160km/h in the high mountains and blowing snow were creating “extremely dangerous or impossible” driving conditions.
Avalanche danger is “very high” to “extremely high” in the central Sierra and areas around Lake Tahoe into Sunday evening, the weather service said. The Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center has extended a backcountry avalanche warning for the eastern slopes until Monday morning.
California officials on Friday closed 100 miles (160 kilometers) of Interstate 80, the main route between Reno and Sacramento, due to “spinouts, high winds and poor visibility.” There is no estimate when the highway will reopen from the California-Nevada border west of Reno to near California’s Emigrant Gap.
Travel east of the Sierra Nevada is dangerous, with Caltrans closing 90 miles (145 kilometers) of Route 395 from near Bishop in the Owens Valley to Bridgeport north of Mono Lake due to “multiple spinouts and collisions.” and “whiteout conditions.” .
The CalTrans office in Kingvale, Calif., about 19 miles west of Truckee, lost power Saturday, affecting cameras and bulletin boards.
“At this time, only first responders and Caltrans employees are allowed access to I-80. There are no essential large rigs or ski resort employees,” King Vale’s office said on social media. Posted on.
The storm has kept the California Highway Patrol (CHP) busy. “A large number of vehicles were stranded on the summit of Donner Mountain during the night, and it took several hours for emergency personnel and tow trucks to reach the drivers.” Truckee CHP Office.
The CHP said it is working to recover vehicles left on the road after assessing the road and rescuing stranded motorists. No quote When will the expressway reopen? “We encourage you to stay home, stay warm and avoid putting yourself and your family in danger,” the CHP said.
Pacific Gas & Electric reported that approximately 7,468 homes and businesses in California were without power as of 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 National Weather Service issued a warning Saturday of gusts of up to 70 mph (145 kph). NV Energy reported Saturday that about 29,000 customers were without power in and around Las Vegas, but by that evening that number had dropped to about 16,000.
The storm began to force its way into the area Thursday. A blizzard warning is in effect until Sunday morning, covering a 300-mile (480-kilometer) stretch of the mountains.
Yosemite National Park announced it would partially open at noon Sunday, restricting access to only two major highways. Additional roads are expected to reopen at noon Monday, but Park officials warn Visitors should expect snow conditions.
