California snowstorm brings blizzard conditions to Sierra Nevada, Lake Tahoe: See photos
Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY
Updated
1 min read
TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 02: Valentino Perez uses a snowblower in front of a restaurant north of Lake Tahoe during a powerful multiple day winter storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 02, 2024 in Truckee, California. Blizzard warnings were issued with snowfall of up to 12 feet and wind gusts over 100 mph expected in some higher elevation locations. Yosemite National Park is closed and a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 80 was shut down yesterday due to the storm. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776114505 ORIG FILE ID: 2053643823
Meteorologists have predicted 10 feet of snow in higher elevations that would create “life-threatening concerns” for residents in the region around Lake Tahoe and blocking travel on the key east-west freeway, according to the Associated Press.
With snow predictions averaging a third of a telephone pole in height, National Weather Service Meteorologist William Churchill told the AP the storm is not over yet.
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“Snow totals are already in the feet and will end up by the end of this event, late Sunday, in a range of 5 to 12 feet (1.5 to 3.6 meters),” Churchill said.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a blizzard warning for the Sierra Nevada mountains.
The storm is currently producing heavy snow in the mountain regions, strong winds, and heavy rain in low elevation areas like parts of the Pacific Northwest, Great Basin, California and the northern and central Rockies. These weather conditions are expected to continue through Sunday. Across the High Plains, strong winds and dry air will support. In addition, meteorologists are predicting critical to elevated fire conditions across the High Plains because of the strong winds and dry air that is expected, the NWS reported.
Here's a look at Californians trudging through the snowstorm.
Californians cope with snowstorm, blizzard conditions
A customer pushes their grocery cart through the snow to their car as a blizzard hits Mammoth Lakes, California, on March 2, 2024. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for California's entire Sierra Nevada through early March 3, 2024. Forecaster report the storm could bring three to five inches (8 to 13cms) of snow per hour. (Photo by DAVID SWANSON / AFP) (Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776114505 ORIG FILE ID: 2046560684
TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 02: People make their way through downtown on foot and on skis as snow falls north of Lake Tahoe during a powerful multiple day winter storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 02, 2024 in Truckee, California. Blizzard warnings were issued with snowfall of up to 12 feet and wind gusts over 100 mph expected in some higher elevation locations. Yosemite National Park is closed and a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 80 was shut down yesterday due to the storm. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776114505 ORIG FILE ID: 2053559761
TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 02: A child plays on a snowbank as snow falls north of Lake Tahoe during a powerful multiple day winter storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 02, 2024 in Truckee, California. Blizzard warnings were issued with snowfall of up to 12 feet and wind gusts over 100 mph expected in some higher elevation locations. Yosemite National Park is closed and a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 80 was shut down yesterday due to the storm. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776114505 ORIG FILE ID: 2053533942
TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 02: A worker digs out snow from a home north of Lake Tahoe during a powerful multiple day winter storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 02, 2024 in Truckee, California. Blizzard warnings were issued with snowfall of up to 12 feet and wind gusts over 100 mph expected in some higher elevation locations. Yosemite National Park is closed and a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 80 was shut down yesterday due to the storm. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776114505 ORIG FILE ID: 2053530457
People take photos and cover their faces as a blizzard hits Mammoth Lakes, California, on March 2, 2024. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for California's entire Sierra Nevada through early March 3, 2024. Forecaster report the storm could bring three to five inches (8 to 13cms) of snow per hour. (Photo by DAVID SWANSON / AFP) (Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776114505 ORIG FILE ID: 2046487719
TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 02: A worker uses a snowblower in front of a home north of Lake Tahoe during a powerful multiple day winter storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 02, 2024 in Truckee, California. Blizzard warnings were issued with snowfall of up to 12 feet and wind gusts over 100 mph expected in some higher elevation locations. Yosemite National Park is closed and a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 80 was shut down yesterday due to the storm. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776114505 ORIG FILE ID: 2053574833
A mailbox and the roof of a home are covered in snow during a storm, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. A powerful blizzard howled Saturday in the Sierra Nevada as the biggest storm of the season shut down a long stretch of Interstate 80 in California and gusty winds and heavy rain hit lower elevations, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier) ORG XMIT: CABH102
TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 01: Vehicles drive as snow falls north of Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada mountains during a powerful winter storm on March 01, 2024 in Truckee, California. Blizzard warnings have been issued with snowfall of up to 12 feet and wind gusts over 100 mph expected in some higher elevation locations. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) ***BESTPIX*** ORG XMIT: 776114505 ORIG FILE ID: 2051314375
Snow covers the shore on Donner Lake, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Truckee, Calif. A powerful blizzard howled Saturday in the Sierra Nevada as the biggest storm of the season shut down a long stretch of Interstate 80 in California and gusty winds and heavy rain hit lower elevations, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier) ORG XMIT: CABH111
A woman waits in a bus stop as a blizzard hits Mammoth Lakes in the Eastern Sierra Nevadas of California, on March 2, 2024. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for California's entire Sierra Nevada through early March 3, 2024. Forecaster report the storm could bring three to five inches (8 to 13cms) of snow per hour. (Photo by DAVID SWANSON / AFP) (Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776114505 ORIG FILE ID: 2046558584
