First Alert Weather: I-80 reopens but more Sierra snow is expected

Caltrans said chain controls have dropped on Interstate 80 in both directions. 

Chain controls remain in effect Tuesday morning in the Sierra. Here's a list:

• Westbound Highway 80 from Truckee to Eagles Lake
• Eastbound Highway 80 from Cisco to Boca
• Highway 89 from Truckee to Olympic Valley
• Highway 267 from Northstar to Kings Beach
• Highway 28 from Tahoe City to Kings Beach

Lake Tahoe Unified said all of its schools will again be closed Tuesday following the weekend snowstorm.

The district said road conditions will not allow buses to travel safely in certain areas of the district.

"We are experiencing challenges in Meyers, Christmas Valley, sections off of Pioneer Trail, Upper Truckee and portions of Highway 50. Additionally, many of our staff have communicated they are unable to get to school safely tomorrow," the district said on social media.

A jackknifed big rig forced a closure of I-80 in Truckee, and spinouts forced westbound traffic near Donner Lake Road to be held, Caltrans said. It all happened shortly after 7 p.m.

It is not yet clear when the roadways will be cleared.

Chain restrictions were dropped on Highway 50 but Caltrans is urging people that conditions could change quickly. 

Interstate 80 is now open to all traffic with chain controls from Nyack to Truckee.

Chain controls are in place on I-80, Highway 89, Highway 267 and Highway 28.

Caltrans is now estimating trucks will be released in both directions on I-80 around 2 p.m. This is two hours later than they initially planned for.

Some roads remain closed in the South Lake Tahoe area, including Highway 89 from Emerald Bay to Bliss State Park, Needle Peak Road from Keller Road to Wildwood Avenue and Keller Road between Markofer Way and Regina Road. 

South Lake Tahoe residents can check the city's website for the latest on plows. 

Interstate 80 has reopened in both directions for passenger vehicles only in the Sierra after a multi-day closure. 

Semi-trucks are expected to be released around noon, Caltrans said. 

Chain controls are in effect from Baxter to the Nevada state line. 

Several school districts in the Sierra are closed on Monday due to the snow, including Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, Lake Tahoe Unified School District and Pollock Pines Elementary School District.

Here's what our First Alert Weather team is tracking.

The city of South Lake Tahoe says there is heavy traffic heading toward Meyers on Highway 50. People who are traveling should expect delays. 

The city is urging people to wait the storm out before heading out of South Lake Tahoe.

Caltrans said Interstate 80 remains closed and will remain closed for the rest of the day. It could open sometime on Monday. 

Highway 50 remains open with chain controls, but traffic is moving slowly.

Wind continues to blow snow all over the Sierra. 

Here are the snow totals at Sierra ski resorts:

Isolated storms in the valley will continue throughout the evening. Some areas may see small hail.

Interstate 80 remains closed in the Sierra. There is no estimated time it will reopen. 

Some vehicles became trapped in a snow sluff at Echo Summit on Highway 50 on Sunday. Caltrans had to pull some drivers out.

Several ski resorts are closed in the Tahoe area on Sunday. Here's a list of resorts closed:

• Sierra-at-Tahoe
• Palisades Tahoe
• Alpine
• Mt. Rose

Highway 50 reopened shortly before 9 a.m., Caltrans said. Traffic is moving slowly and chain controls remain in place. 

Highway 50 is closed due to a snowslide at Echo Summit, according to the city of South Lake Tahoe.

The city is urging people to not travel up into the Sierra on Sunday and to do so when it is safe.

The Blizzard Warning in effect has been extended to midnight while a Winter Storm Warning will continue through Wednesday. 

Two to four more feet of snow are possible about 4000' from Monday to Tuesday, with about one to two feet falling on Sunday.

Many roads are closed across to Sierra on Sunday morning. Here's a list:

• I-80 is still closed in both directions from Colfax to the CA/ NV state line.
• Highway 20 in both directions from Nevada City to I-80 / Yuba Gap
• Highway 267 in both directions from Northstar to Kings Beach
• Highway 89 in both directions from Tahoe City to Tahoma
• Highway 89 around Emerald Bay
• Highway 89 Markleeville to state line
• Highway 4 in both directions Lake Alpine to Highway 89
• Highway108 in both directions near Pinecrest to Sonora Junction
• Highway 395 in both directions from Bishop to 89/ state line

For the latest on road conditions, visit Caltrans' website  or call 1-800-427-7623.

Interstate 80 remains closed from Colfax to the Nevada state line. It's unknow when it will reopen.

Here's the latest forecast.

Most Truckee Donner Public Utility District customers have had their power restored. There are still about 200 customers without power as of Saturday evening. 

As for PG&E customers, hundreds of customers in Nevada and El Dorado counties are without power. 

In Placer County, Highway 267 is closed between Northstar and Kings Beach due to zero visibility. It's unknown when it will reopen. 

Whiteout conditions will continue as snowfall rates will increase up to 2-3" an hour. 

Rain and wind have started to pick up across the valley. Thunderstorms are possible and will be isolated. 

Palisades Tahoe is hoping to open at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday but further delays are possible. 

At Palisades, they hope to open the lower lifts of Resort Chair, First Ventures, Far East, Red Dog, and KT-22. KT-22 may be delayed. Palisades upper may open.

Over at Alpine, they hope to open Roundhouse, Treeline Cirque, Meadow, and Subway. They could open Summit and Scott, but will be slow to open them. 

Mt. Rose saw 52 inches of snow, while Northstar saw 44 inches. More snow totals are below.

Truckee is still getting snow as people are digging out walkways. Some businesses are open. 

Cal Fire responded to a vehicle stuck in a flooded road in Wolf Creek. The occupant escaped with no injuries.

Palisades Tahoe remains closed on Saturday. The ski resort said it received 41 inches of snow in the past two days. 

It's unknown at this point if lifts will reopen on Sunday.

More snow is expected in the Sierra from Saturday through Wednesday. 

Interstate 80 remains closed as of Saturday afternoon. The closure is from Colfax and to the Nevada Stateline.

CHP said it had "a mass amount" of vehicles that were stuck over Donner Summit. It took crews several hours to reach each vehicle.

Officers said blizzard conditions made it difficult to reach each vehicle. They are urging people to stay home. 

Highway 50 has seen traffic holds from spinout and avalanche control. Chain controls are in effect from Saw Mills to Meyers. 

A semi-truck driver became stuck on a Forest Service Raod during the storm. Firefighters are urging people to not go around closed highways and interstates. 

The CHP Grass Valley responded to a driver who attempted to drive through a flooded road in south Nevada County. The driver was wet and cold, but no injuries. 

The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab said it received nearly 21 inches of snow in the past day. 

Here's the latest forecast.

Heavy snow is continuing in the Sierra, bringing zero visibility at times. 

The National Weather Service shared a video of a tornado in Madera County. The NWS said a survey will be conducted on Saturday. 

Thousands of PG&E customers are without power in the Sierra. This includes customers in the Foresthill, Truckee and Downieville areas. 

It is unknown when the outages will be restored. 

The latest on PG&E outages can be found online.

Palisades Tahoe said Alpine will be closed on Saturday while it will attempt to open limited lower mountain operations on the Palisades side.

The resort said it will have a lot of work to do in the morning as the strongest part of the storm is set to hit Friday night. 

Sunday operations are unknown at this time. Palisades plans to release an update on Saturday afternoon. 

About 2,000 Truckee Donner Public Utility District customers are without power. The utility company said multiple crews are responding to outages and high winds are causing trees and branches to come down on power lines. 

Crews are working to make repairs and restore power as soon as possible. 

The CHP said it is now turning westbound and eastbound Interstate 80 travelers around in the Sierra. 

Westbound travelers are being turned around at the Nevada state line while east travelers are being turned around a Drum Forebady 

The CHP said this is due to spin-outs, high winds and low visibility. 

It is unknown when the highway will reopen. 

Highway 88 is closed at Carson Spur, near Kirkwood.

Highway 49 is closed between Sattley and Downieville in Sierra County. It's open to locals only.

It is unknown when it will reopen.   

Caltrans said it is holding eastbound traffic at Drum Forebay and turning westbound traffic at the Stateline and Truckee on Interstate 80. This is due to multiple spinouts. 

Highway 20 is closed for eastbound traffic. Locals are only allowed to continue. 

The Tornado Warning for Mariposa County has been extended to 4:45 p.m. A funnel cloud was reported and the threat is now northwest of Yosemite Lakes.

A Tornado Warning has been issued for Merced, Mariposa and Madera County until 4:15 p.m.  

CBS13's Madisen Keavy is on a ride-along with California Highway Patrol up in the Sierra on Friday. 

Wind has been brutal across the Sierra over the last 24 hours. Alpine Meadows reported a gust of 143 mph last night. Most gusts have stayed in the 55-65 mph range.

Expect wind to increase this afternoon-Saturday

There can be a big difference in weight between fluffy, normal, and wet snow. CBS13 Meteorologist Tracy Humphrey explains: 

Most Sierra resorts have announced they will be closed on Friday. The following is a status update of all Sierra ski resorts seeing closures (as of 8 a.m. Friday): 

• Palisades and Alpine Meadows: Closed Friday, will provide updates for Saturday operations at 4 p.m. today
• Boreal: Closed Friday
• Homewood: Closed Friday
• Sugar Bowl: Open (for now), but some lifts are closed
• Northstar: Open (for now), with limited operations
• Sierra-At-Tahoe: Closed Friday
• Heavenly: The Gondola + top of Gondola lifts and facilities will be closed Friday due to forecasted winds
• Donner Ski Ranch: Closed Friday
• Kirkwood: TBD, but visitors should prepare for weather impacts

CBS13 photojournalist Dave Grashoff is getting a first-hand look at conditions up in the Sierra Friday morning.

Travel is not advised as wind and snow are whipping around, making for near-whiteout conditions at times.

Conditions are expected to deteriorate throughout the day on Friday. 

Highlighting how bad conditions are in the Sierra, and how people should avoid Sierra travel on Friday, Palisades announced that both of their resorts – Palisades and Alpine – will be closed on Friday.

Winds over 100 mph and low visibility conditions are expected.

Several Sierra school districts have closed their campuses on Friday due to the deteriorating conditions.

Lake Tahoe Unified and Tahoe Truckee Unified both announced they would be closed on Friday.

More blizzard conditions are expected throughout Friday.

Things are calm up in South Lake Tahoe Friday morning, but action is expected to pick up throughout the day. 

Drivers making the trek up the mountain along I-80 on Thursday were met with increasing snow rates and chain controls.

Chain controls remain in place Thursday night across multiple Sierra highways as a severe snowstorm moves through Northern California.

Drivers on I-80 westbound must have tire chains on while traveling between Truckee and Nyack. Eastbound I-u80 drivers must have tire chains between Nyack and Boca.

Over on Highway 50, chains are still required for travelers between Twin Bridges and Meyers.

Chain controls are now in place for State Route 89 from Truckee to Olympic Valley and State Route 267 from Northstar to Kings Beach.

For up-to-date Sierra road conditions as this storm progresses, go here.

Some Tahoe ski resorts announced Friday closures due to a severe snow storm moving through the region. They are:

Sierra At Tahoe

Palisades Tahoe

• Alpine will be closed

Heavenly

• The Gondola and top of Gondola lifts and facilities will be closed due to forecasted winds.

Donner Ski Ranch

Depending on conditions Friday, more resorts may be added to this list.

Chain controls are in place along multiple Sierra highways as a storm that is expected to bring blizzard conditions to the region moves through Northern California.

On I-80, chains are required between Kingvale and Truckee for drivers in both directions.

Over on Highway 50, chains are required for travelers between Twin Bridges and Meyers.

For up-to-date Sierra road conditions as this storm progresses, go here.

Snowfall rates are expected to ramp up quite a bit between 7-10 p.m. — with approximately 2-3 inches falling per hour in the Sierra.

This weekend's storm is expected to boost snowfall totals in the Northern California Sierra Nevada.

A crew with the DWR measured, a day early, the snow in a meadow at Phillips Station for their March 1 survey, recording a depth of almost four feet and a snow water content of 18 inches.

A water resources engineer said Northern California's snowpack is nearly 80% of average to date and 74% of where we need to be by April 1, typically when we peak.

Tap here to read more.

Yosemite National Park announced Thursday evening that it will be closed through at least Sunday due to expected dangerous conditions with the storm moving through Northern California.

Based on conditions, the closure could be extended past that, the park said.

Near-whiteout conditions are already hitting the Sierra after the chain control checkpoint outside of Kirkwood. 

CBS13's Ashley Sharp is up in the high country, getting an up-close look at the storm. Follow along with her: 

North Lake Tahoe's Snowfest events, which were scheduled to happen this weekend, are bein postponed due to the storm. 

There were over 40 events during the 10 days of snowfest scheduled. 

A full list of postponements and rescheduling can be found on the event's website. 

The big rig crash has officials now turning traffic around on eastbound I-80 in the Sierra. 

Caltrans says they are turning traffic at Highway 20. 

No estimated time of reopening has been given. 

A semi-truck crash near Donner Lake has all lanes of eastbound Interstate 80 blocked as of 7:30 a.m. 

The semi crashed onto its side, California Highway Patrol says. The driver only suffered minor injuries, CHP says.

No estimated time of reopening has been given. 

Full chain controls are in effect on either I-80 or Highway 50 at the moment, but trucks are being screened to make sure they have maximum chains. 

Several Sierra schools are having a minimum day or have already declared a snow day for Thursday. 

Donner Trail Elementary is on a snow day. 

The following schools will be dismissing early, according to the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District: 

• Glenshire Elementary School | 12:50 p.m.
• Kings Beach Elementary School | 12:00 p.m.
• Sierra Expeditionary Learning School, K-5 | 1:00 p.m.
• Sierra Expeditionary Learning School, 6-8 | 11:45 a.m.
• Tahoe Lake Elementary School | 12:00 p.m.
• Truckee Elementary School | 12:50 p.m.
• Alder Creek Middle School | 11:40 a.m.
• North Tahoe Middle School | 1:11 p.m.
• North Tahoe High School | 12:10 p.m.
• Sierra High School | 12:00 p.m.
• Truckee High School | 12:00 p.m.