Sierra Nevada is expected to receive another 2 feet of snow through the weekend
Updated March 2, 2024 at 6:37 PM ET
A powerful blizzard will continue to pummel parts of the Sierra Nevada through Sunday, bringing another 2 feet of snow and wind gusts over 100 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm has forced the closure of Yosemite National Park, several Lake Tahoe ski resorts, parts of a major interstate and disrupted power to tens of thousands.
The brunt of the storm system should pass by Sunday evening. Parts of Northern California are forecast to see light to moderate rain on Monday.
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Over the past two days, about 42 inches of snow has accumulated in Soda Springs, Calif., west of Reno. Further south, Sierra at Tahoe received 35 inches while Palisades saw 31 inches, according to the NWS office in Sacramento.
The U.C. Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab said that as of Saturday afternoon it recorded nearly 40 inches of snow.
The California Highway Patrol said "a mass amount of vehicles" were stuck over Donner Summit on Friday night. Due to the storm, the CHP said it took emergency personnel and tow trucks several hours to reach motorists.
"There is no estimated time of reopening the freeway, so we suggest you stay home. Stay warm and don't put yourself and your family in a dangerous situation," the CHP said Saturday on X.
More than than 55,000 customers were without power in California and Nevada as of Saturday afternoon, according to Poweroutage.us.
The storm system, which began to pummel the region on Thursday, has brought wind gusts of up to 150 mph at the highest peaks of the Sierra.
The NWS issued a blizzard warning across the Sierra Nevada until Sunday. Those areas include:
California's Lassen, eastern Plumas and eastern Sierra counties through 4 a.m. Sunday
the Greater Lake Tahoe area through 10 a.m. Sunday
Mono County through 10 a.m. Sunday
Forecasters warn that snow is expected to fall between 2 to 4 inches per hour. Due to strong winds, visibility in those areas may also be limited to a quarter-mile.
"Periods of whiteout conditions are expected and will make travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening," the NWS wrote.
Yosemite National Park, which is under the blizzard warning, will remain closed through at least Sunday.
In Incline Village, Nev., KUNR reporter Sophia Holm reported that snowplows were regularly running up and down streets.
Chris Slowinski and his wife Cathy Ludwig told Holm that they're experiencing their second winter in Tahoe, and have stocked up on food and equipment.
"We've got a generator, so we're set," Slowinski said. "I mean, it's kind of nice having nowhere to go, and we really can't go anywhere."
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