Sierra residents trying to dig out during lull in storms; Avalanche danger remains high

TRUCKEE -- Across the Tahoe region were snow has piled up as high as the second story of most homes, trapped residents were trying to dig out during a brief lull in the historic onslaught of winter weather.

Currently, there were no warnings, watches or advisories for the region issued by the National Weather Service on Thursday.

"The last of an 8-day barrage of winter storms has finally departed the Sierra after leaving behind 10-12 feet of snow in some higher elevations," NWS forecasters in Reno said.  "While the snow has essentially ended, brisk north to northeast winds with gusts 30-40 mph may produce blowing snow with quick visibility reductions."

The Truckee CHP office announced that I-80 over Donner Summit was open in both directions with no chain or vehicle restrictions just after noon on Thursday.

"Traffic is extremely heavy due to the back-up, so no Super Mario Karting over the summit!!" the tweet added.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday proclaimed a state of emergency in 13 counties to support disaster relief by making state agencies and aid available and asking for federal help in clearing and repairing highways. 

The governor announced that the state was bringing in more snow plows and road crews to help clear roads and he authorized the California National Guard to mobilize for disaster response if needed. 

Even though an avalanche warning had expired in Tahoe by early Thursday, officials warned that the hillsides remain unstable.

Tons of snow roared into an occupied three-story apartment building in Olympic Valley near the Palisades Tahoe ski resort Tuesday evening, forcing evacuations of nearby dwellings.

According to a Placer County sheriff's office Facebook post, the avalanche struck around 7 p.m. and was 200 yards wide and 25 feet deep.

"We couldn't even get out of our own driveway so we just grabbed our backpacks the kids, the wife and the dog and walked back to the village," Olympic Valley resident Randy Rogers said.

Even through the lure of skiing in deep powder was strong, Placer County Sheriff PIO Angela Musallam begged visitors to stay away to allow authorities time to dig the region and residents out.

"People who are traveling from out of the area, we are really discouraging travel to these back country areas," she said.

A new storm system is predicted to roar into the region early Saturday.

"The next storm is poised to arrive Saturday with increasing winds during the morning -- with 100+ mph gusts again for Sierra ridges -- followed by another push of snow for all elevations during the day," forecasters said. 'Peak snowfall rates are currently most likely Saturday night into Sunday morning."

"Snow removal/storage continues to become more difficult after the latest batch of storms, combined with the deep seasonal snowpack currently ranging from 180% to over 240% of average in the eastern Sierra basins."

And more storms may follow.

Bianca Feldkircher, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said a persistent blocking pattern over the Pacific Ocean plus cold air migrating south from the Arctic have created the conditions for widespread snowfall along the West Coast.

"Not only were you getting significant snowfall in areas that already see snow, you were also seeing snowfall on lower elevations in Southern California, which is super rare," said Feldkircher.