Dangerous blizzard continues pounding California with feet of snow, 190-mph wind gust
The massive storm continues its assault on the region, fueled by a wide-reaching area of low pressure spanning much of the West Coast and feeding a constant stream of snow that is expected to reach over 10 feet in the higher elevations and even 2-5 feet where many residents live.
Feet of snow, 190-mph wind gusts, drivers stuck on closed freeways and even a tornado have already pummeled California during a dayslong blizzard underway in the Sierra Nevada, and it is expected to continue for several more days.
The adverse weather is being fueled by a wide-reaching area of low pressure spanning much of the West Coast, and feeding a constant stream of snow that is expected to reach 5-10 feet in the higher elevations and 2-5 feet as low as 6,000 feet in elevation where many residents live.
(FOX Weather)
Several highways and mountain passes have been closed due to the storm, including the busy Interstate 80 that links San Francisco to Lake Tahoe and Reno via the Sierra Nevada. CalTrans crews shut down a 50-mile stretch of the roadway Friday evening from Drum Forebay to the California-Nevada state line after multiple spin-outs were reported amid blizzard conditions.
The closure extended another 15 miles farther west to Colfax Saturday morning.
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"(Friday) night we had a mass amount of vehicles stuck over Donner Summit and it took several hours for emergency personnel and tow trucks to reach motorists," officials with the California Highway Patrol posted on X. "At one point, emergency personnel and tow trucks had a difficult time getting to motorists due to blizzard conditions."
Troopers worked through Saturday to help clear the road of abandoned vehicles left on the freeway after drivers were taken to a safe location, reiterating there is no estimate when I-80 will reopen.
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Blizzard Warnings continue for the Sierra Nevada, including the popular Lake Tahoe area and are expected to last through Sunday morning. A potentially deadly combination of extreme snowfall rates of 2-4 inches per hour and wind gusts of hurricane force will continue whiteout conditions and rapidly accumulating and drifting snowfall.
Lake Tahoe's Palisades Ski Resort at 8,700 feet has recorded multiple wind gusts over 150 mph since Friday, including one measurement of a gust clocked at 190 mph Friday night, while a gust measured 84 mph closer to town.
(FOX Weather)
Even more dangerous, forecasters now warn of a chance of thunderstorms that could bring incredible snowfall rates of 4-6 inches per hour.
"Storms of this magnitude are rare and capable of closing major roads and damaging power infrastructure for extended periods of time," the NWS warned. "Make sure you have food, water, and a secondary heat source for more than several days in your home in case of extended power outages."
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Yosemite National Park was shut down Thursday night ahead of the storm, which was forecast to bring several feet of snow to the park. The park will remain closed through at least noon Sunday, and possibly longer, National Park Service officials said.
Elsewhere, Winter Storm Warnings are posted for the combination of snow and gusty winds across other parts of Northern California and western Nevada, including Reno, which itself is expecting up to a foot of snow.
Carson City, Nevada, averages about 14 inches of snow a year and could get that in just this storm alone.
Tornado touches down in Central California valleys
The bad weather wasn’t confined to the Sierra Nevada. A tornado touched down in the San Joaquin Valley on Friday evening, triggering a rare Tornado Warning for the region.
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A blizzard-producing storm system spawned at least one tornado in central California on Friday.
Despite the alerts, residents from all over the San Joaquin Valley took photos and videos of the funnel and the subsequent tornado as it worked northbound through properties that were used for both residential and agricultural purposes.
Local authorities did not report any injuries associated with the event, and it was thought the twister was only briefly on the ground. An NWS storm survey team will head to the area Saturday to assess the twister’s strength and any impacts.
In San Francisco, where wind gusts reached as high as 54 mph, four people were injured when a massive tree branch came crashing down on a car, according to the city’s fire department. All four were taken to a local hospital for treatment, but the extent of their injuries wasn’t given.
A large tree topples onto a car in San Francisco on Mar. 1, 2024.
(San Francisco Fire Department / FOX Weather)
Nevada faces hurricane-force wind gusts
The massive area of low pressure swirling across the West is also helping to produce damaging winds across Nevada, which has caused power outages.
NV Energy, the state's largest utility provider, reported more than 25,000 outages on Saturday afternoon, which included parts of the famous Las Vegas Strip.
The company asked for customers' patience as some outages could be extensive, especially in the mountainous regions.
Harry Reid International Airport recorded a wind gust of 68 mph, which made the day the windiest March date since 1985.
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(FOX Weather)
When will the snow end?
While the strong winds and heavy snow should begin to taper off later Sunday, snow remains in the forecast for the region well into next week as the broad area of low pressure continues to send a stream of moisture and winds into the Sierra Nevada.
Drier weather promises to return later in the week, though the extended forecast hints at a return of storm activity the following week.
"We are hoping you are ready to be in this for the duration, because you will be either way," NWS Reno forecasters said
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