Heavy snowfall blanketing Sierra in latest in series of winter storms
Heavy snowfall was hitting the Sierra Nevada and the Lake Tahoe area Monday, the latest in a series of winter storms moving through the region.
The National Weather Service said a Winter Storm Warning was in effect through 10 a.m. Wednesday, with heavy, wet snow accumulations of 4 to 10 inches at lake level with 2 to 4 feet above 7,000 feet. Winds were expected to gust as high as 45 mph in valleys and 100 mph over the ridges. Western Nevada valleys were expected to see spillover rainfall and gusty winds throughout Monday morning.
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The weather service added that travel could be very difficult to impossible across Sierra passes including Donner Summit, Echo Summit and Carson Pass. Drivers were advised that holiday weekend travel Monday will increase the commute times and travel delays.
Current snow levels were hovering around 5,500 to 6,000 feet in the northeastern part of California, 6,500 to 7,000 in the Tahoe area, and around 7,000 feet in Mono County, the weather service said, falling by the afternoon to around 5,500 to 6,000 feet.
Meanwhile, the Sierra Avalanche Center in Truckee issued a Backcountry Avalanche Warning for the Central Sierra Nevada Mountains between Yuba Pass (Hwy 49) on the north and Ebbetts Pass (Hwy 4) on the south, including the greater Lake Tahoe area through Tuesday morning. This warning did not include ski areas and highways where avalanche mitigation programs exist.
Forecast models were also showing strong thunderstorms forming in the northern San Joaquin Valley, Sacramento Valley, and western Sierra Foothills, which would turn into heavy bursts of snowfall as the storms move into the high Sierra, the weather service said.
Other intermittent periods of light to moderate snowfall were possible across the Sierra Tuesday and Wednesday before quieter conditions prevail for the remainder of the week, the weather service said.
