A dangerous winter storm has arrived in California, battering the Sierra Nevada with snowfall, gale-force winds and blizzard conditions as authorities urge residents to shelter in place and prepare for power outages.
Perilous conditions in the mountain region are expected to get significantly worse on Friday evening and over the weekend, with a high risk of whiteout conditions, near-zero visibility and avalanches across the mountain range, making travel impossible, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The severe weather, which forecasters described as life-threatening, could break snowfall records.
A highly impactful winter storm will affect much of the Western US over the next few days. See our Key Messages for the latest information. Find your local forecast at https://t.co/pGx1JRZLBI pic.twitter.com/FQToSbcKf8
— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) March 1, 2024
“There is a high chance (over 70%) of substantial, long-lasting disruptions to daily life in the high elevations of the Sierra Nevada through Sunday where blizzard conditions and 5-12 feet of snow (and locally higher) are expected,” the federal agency warned.
Wind gusts of 75 to 100mph are possible and will “likely down trees and power lines, resulting in widespread power outages”. Palisades Tahoe, a ski resort, reported winds of more than 100mph early Friday morning.
The central Sierra Nevada, including the Tahoe basin, is under an avalanche watch with “high to extreme” avalanche danger, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center.
On Thursday, Yosemite national park and several ski resorts closed and urged visitors to leave the area. By Friday morning, officials warned that the time window for safe travel was closed.
Atypically large quantities of snow are falling fast, with three to five inches an hour expected from Friday through Saturday in mountainous areas. Such extreme snowfall – with well over 100in forecast for just four days – is among the highest on record for the region.
A combination of the El Niño weather cycle and global heating caused by burning fossil fuels is driving historic storms that have battered California this winter, according to climate scientists.
The NWS in Sacramento issued rare blizzard warnings for the Sierra, Northeast Foothills, Motherlode and the western Plumas and Lassen area from 4am Thursday through 10am Sunday. Very unusually, the warning extends to the Lake Tahoe area, the expansive freshwater body which straddles the border of California and Nevada.
Conditions continue to deteriorate along I-80 this evening as hourly snowfall rates and winds increase. A Blizzard Warning remains in effect through Sunday for areas above 2000 ft in the Sierra. Travel is *HIGHLY* discouraged!! #CAwx pic.twitter.com/fdSSUpwdkd
— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) March 1, 2024
Rick Grundy, the manager of the Chevron Food Mart near Donner Lake just off Interstate 80, said business was slow Friday – people seemed to have taken officials’ advice to hunker down. After living in the Truckee, California, area for 20 years, he said he knows how to prepare for bad weather.
“We’re pretty well-stocked. We knew this was coming,” Grundy said. “One thing I’ve learned, if you are not used to driving in this weather, if you’re not used to being in this area, it’s not a good idea. You should stay home.”
At least nine Lake Tahoe ski resorts said they will stay closed on Friday due to the conditions, and a handful of other resorts either opened or planned to but warned of limitations and delays. All visitors at Yosemite were told to be out as of noon on Friday, with the park closed at least through noon Sunday.
The rare blizzard and snowfall is causing perilous conditions but will also boost water supplies, bringing the Sierra mountain snowpack closer to its long-term average for this time of year.
As the snowstorm, which began in the Pacific north-west late on Wednesday, continues to moves south throughout the weekend, much colder air will set in, with temperatures 10 to 20 degrees fahrenheit below normal likely in parts of California.
Meanwhile in Texas, ferocious winds continue to hamper firefighters who are struggling to contain the state’s worst ever blaze which by Thursday night had razed 1m acres, killing two people and herds of cattle. The confirmed victims are former substitute teacher Joyce Blankenship, 83, and Cindy Owens, believed to be in her 40s, from Amarillo, officials said.
Fueled by parched grasses, strong winds and abnormally warm temperatures, several fires have merged in the Texas Panhandle, destroying homes, farmland and livestock, spreading north into Oklahoma.
Conditions improved slightly on Thursday with some light rain and snow, but the Smokehouse Creek fire – the second largest in US history – is far from contained. Dry, warm conditions are forecast for the Texas Panhandle this weekend, posing a significant threat as firefighters battle with dozens of fires across the region.
Agencies contributed reporting
