Late winter California snowstorm continues to rage in Sierra Nevada | California
The biggest storm of the season closed long stretches of Interstate 80, and a blizzard raged through the Sierra Nevada overnight into Saturday. California Strong winds and heavy rain battered low-lying areas, leaving tens of thousands of customers without power.
Up to 10 feet (3 meters) of snow is expected in some areas. The National Weather Service (NWS) announced early Saturday morning that a widespread snowstorm was creating “extremely dangerous or impossible travel conditions.” The combination of snow and high winds was the heaviest in the Sierra Nevada, with more than 3 inches (7 cm) of snow falling per hour and wind gusts exceeding 100 mph (160 km/h).
The National Weather Service said “high to extreme avalanche danger” is expected in the central Sierra backcountry, including areas around Lake Tahoe, into Sunday evening.
California officials closed 100 miles (160 kilometers) of Interstate 80 on Friday due to “spinouts, high winds and poor visibility.” They had no idea when the highway would reopen from the California-Nevada border just west of Reno to near Emigrant Gap, California.
Pacific Gas & Electric reported around 5 a.m. Saturday that 33,000 homes and businesses were without power.
A tornado touched down in Madera County Friday afternoon, causing some damage to an elementary school, NWS Hanford meteorologist Andy Bollenbacher said.
Some ski areas that closed Friday said they planned to remain closed Saturday to prepare for reopening Sunday, but most said they would wait for updates Saturday morning.
Palisades Tahoe, the largest resort north of Tahoe and host of the 1960 Winter Olympics, hopes to reopen some of its lowest-elevation Palisades slopes on Saturday, but adjacent Alpine Meadows will close all chairs on the second day. It was announced that the lift would be closed. The forecast called for “heavy snow and winds of over 160km/h.”
“We have essential personnel on the hill throughout the day performing administrative work, maintaining access roads, and excavating chairlifts, but based on the current situation, if we were to be able to reopen, Even then, there will be significant delays,” Palisades Tahoe said. Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The storm began to force its way into the area Thursday. A blizzard warning is in effect until Sunday morning, covering a 300-mile (482-kilometer) stretch of the mountains.
Some ski enthusiasts rushed to climb the mountain before the storm.
Daniel Lavery, an avid skier who works at a home construction supply store in the Reno area, wasn’t one of them. He said Friday he didn’t consider making the hour-long drive to ski at a Tahoe resort with his season pass because of the strong winds.
But most customers on Friday seemed to think the storm wasn’t as bad as expected, he said.
“Someone asked me for a shovel,” Lovely said. “No one asked me about snow blowers. They were sold out during the storm about two weeks ago.”
Meteorologists say up to 10 feet (3 meters) of snow could accumulate in the mountains around Lake Tahoe by the weekend, with 3 to 6 feet (1 to 2 meters) and an additional 1 foot (30 centimeters) in lakeshore areas. ) is expected to be exceeded. In the eastern front valley of the Sierra Mountains, which includes Reno.
Yosemite National Park was closed on Friday, and officials announced it would remain closed until at least noon Sunday.
Summarize this content to 100 words The biggest storm of the season closed long stretches of Interstate 80, and a blizzard raged through the Sierra Nevada overnight into Saturday. California Strong winds and heavy rain battered low-lying areas, leaving tens of thousands of customers without power.Up to 10 feet (3 meters) of snow is expected in some areas. The National Weather Service (NWS) announced early Saturday morning that a widespread snowstorm was creating “extremely dangerous or impossible travel conditions.” The combination of snow and high winds was the heaviest in the Sierra Nevada, with more than 3 inches (7 cm) of snow falling per hour and wind gusts exceeding 100 mph (160 km/h).The National Weather Service said “high to extreme avalanche danger” is expected in the central Sierra backcountry, including areas around Lake Tahoe, into Sunday evening.California officials closed 100 miles (160 kilometers) of Interstate 80 on Friday due to “spinouts, high winds and poor visibility.” They had no idea when the highway would reopen from the California-Nevada border just west of Reno to near Emigrant Gap, California.Pacific Gas & Electric reported around 5 a.m. Saturday that 33,000 homes and businesses were without power.A tornado touched down in Madera County Friday afternoon, causing some damage to an elementary school, NWS Hanford meteorologist Andy Bollenbacher said.Some ski areas that closed Friday said they planned to remain closed Saturday to prepare for reopening Sunday, but most said they would wait for updates Saturday morning.Palisades Tahoe, the largest resort north of Tahoe and host of the 1960 Winter Olympics, hopes to reopen some of its lowest-elevation Palisades slopes on Saturday, but adjacent Alpine Meadows will close all chairs on the second day. It was announced that the lift would be closed. The forecast called for “heavy snow and winds of over 160km/h.”“We have essential personnel on the hill throughout the day performing administrative work, maintaining access roads, and excavating chairlifts, but based on the current situation, if we were to be able to reopen, Even then, there will be significant delays,” Palisades Tahoe said. Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter.The storm began to force its way into the area Thursday. A blizzard warning is in effect until Sunday morning, covering a 300-mile (482-kilometer) stretch of the mountains.Some ski enthusiasts rushed to climb the mountain before the storm.Daniel Lavery, an avid skier who works at a home construction supply store in the Reno area, wasn’t one of them. He said Friday he didn’t consider making the hour-long drive to ski at a Tahoe resort with his season pass because of the strong winds.But most customers on Friday seemed to think the storm wasn’t as bad as expected, he said.“Someone asked me for a shovel,” Lovely said. “No one asked me about snow blowers. They were sold out during the storm about two weeks ago.”Meteorologists say up to 10 feet (3 meters) of snow could accumulate in the mountains around Lake Tahoe by the weekend, with 3 to 6 feet (1 to 2 meters) and an additional 1 foot (30 centimeters) in lakeshore areas. ) is expected to be exceeded. In the eastern front valley of the Sierra Mountains, which includes Reno.Yosemite National Park was closed on Friday, and officials announced it would remain closed until at least noon Sunday.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/02/california-sierra-nevada-blizzard Late winter California snowstorm continues to rage in Sierra Nevada | California