Hurricane-Force 135 MPH Wind Gusts Recorded In Sierra
TRUCKEE (CBS SF) - The National Weather Service has recorded powerful wind gusts near I-80 just west of Truckee.
A map from the department indicates that 135 mile per hour wind gusted on Mount Lincoln just west of Donner Lake, at an elevation of 8330 ft. 112 MPH wind was recorded just across the Nevada border on Slide Mountain. Both recordings were gusts, rather than sustained winds, but such speeds are well above the 64 MPH threshold to be considered a "violent storm" capable of widespread damage.
The term "hurricane" is only used to refer to tropical storms, and is used when sustained winds reach 74 miles per hour. That level of wind strength is possible at extreme elevations above 9,000 feet and higher Thursday, according to the National Weather Service warning.
As of 8:00 a.m., the highest Bay Area gusts were nearing 70 MPH on Mount Diablo.