Dangerous blizzard continues to pound California leaving tens of thousands without power as over three feet of snow falls in Sierra Nevada and wind gusts reach more than 100mph

Daily Mail UK ^ | March 2, 2024 | Dolores Chang

[Morgana]

A dangerous blizzard continues to pound California, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power and forcing a long stretch of Interstate 80 to shut down.

The powerful storm has dumped more than three feet of snow across the Sierra Nevada range, with wind gusts over 100 mph in the Mountain West.

A half-million people are under blizzard warnings, with another six million under winter weather alerts, as an additional one to two feet of snow is expected in higher elevations.

National Weather Service meteorologist William Churchill warned that the massive blizzard is creating a 'life-threatening concern' for residents near Lake Tahoe.

Churchill said snow totals by late Sunday would range from 5 to 12 feet, with the most extreme conditions unfolding at elevations above 5,000 feet. Lower elevations will be inundated with heavy rain.

I-80, the region's major east-to-west roadway, has been shut down in both directions since Friday night with numerous cars and trailers being left stranded on the road.

The California Highway Patrol's Truckee office said in social media posts: 'It took several hours for emergency personnel and tow trucks to reach motorists'.

There has been no estimate when the freeway would reopen, as the office suggests people to stay home in a series of posts.

'Stay warm and don't put yourself and your family in a dangerous situation,' one of the post reads.

Kyle Frankland, a veteran snowplow driver, said several parts of his rig broke as he cleared wet snow underneath piles of powder.

[NWFree]

Good thing none of them were dumb enough to buy battery charge up cars

[Bob434]

Was this the same place in cali that got slammed so hard last yer i think it was? Some town was under dozens of feet of snow with storm after storm-

[wetgundog]

When do they start eating each other??

[rfp1234]

Cesar Chavez would be furious at Newscum and his gang of idiots for wrecking the Central Valley. And at LGBFJB for wrecking UFW wages with millions of “newcomers”.

[metmom]

This story is all lies. We were assured by our betters that California is now permanently in drought. /s

And if one doesn't happen naturally, the government will see to it that it does.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Remember when Donner Pass was like Hawaii all year round? This damn “climb it change”.

[Texan4Life]

Blizzard conditions along I-80 temporarily trapped hundreds of vehicles overnight, California Highway Patrol officers told ABC News on Saturday. An estimated 200 to 300 vehicles — including a mix of passenger cars and big rigs — were stuck from approximately 5 p.m. PT Friday to 2:30 a.m. PT Saturday over Donner Summit, officers said. With the help of tow trucks, everyone was able to get out and no vehicles were abandoned, officers said. There were no injuries or medical emergencies reported.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/blizzard-california-sierra-nevada-mountains/story?id=107743226

[norwaypinesavage]

"An estimated 200 to 300 vehicles ...were stuck from approximately 5 p.m. PT Friday ...over Donner Summit. There were no injuries or medical emergencies"

There was no panic. Everyone knew there would be plenty to eat if the emergency continued indefinitely.

[Texan4Life]