California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains could receive up to 3 meters of snow due to blizzard

At least nine Lake Tahoe ski areas were closed on Friday and visitors to Yosemite National Park were told to leave urgently as California’s strongest storm of the season battered the Sierra Nevada Mountains and residents were asked to take shelter as they prepared to shelter up to 3 meters high altitude attack. Snow accumulation (10 feet) in some areas.

The storm began moving through the region on Thursday, with the biggest impact expected to close major highways and cause power outages Friday afternoon into Saturday. A blizzard warning for Sunday morning covered 482 kilometers (300 miles) from northern Lake Tahoe to south of Yosemite National Park.

The National Weather Service in Reno posted on social media Thursday morning that the “window for safe travel in the Sierra Mountains has ended.” “Better stay where you are.”

Meteorologists predict that by the weekend, snowfall amounts of up to 3 meters (10 feet) could fall in the mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe, with 0.9 to 1.8 meters (3 to 6 feet) and more than 30 centimeters (1 foot) in lakeshore communities. ft.) probably in the valleys of the eastern Sierra Nevada, including Reno.

Wind gusts in excess of 185 km/h (115 mph) are expected at the top of the Sierra ridge and in excess of 113 km/h (70 mph) at lower elevations.

“This is going to be a legitimate snowstorm,” UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said during an online briefing Thursday. “Real snowstorm conditions are several feet of snow and very strong winds that could There are power outages, and even during severe winter storms, roads may not clear as quickly or as effectively as normal. ”

Backcountry avalanche warnings have been issued for areas around Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park extending to Mammoth Lakes.

In Yosemite National Park, visitors were told to leave the park as soon as possible — no later than noon Friday. Park officials said on social media that the park would be closed until at least noon Sunday and the closure could be extended.

At least nine Lake Tahoe ski areas announced on their websites or social media that they would remain closed Friday due to weather conditions.

Extreme weather continues to impact the ski industry, with U.S. ski resorts likely to lose an estimated $1 billion annually due to climate change in the coming years, a new study finds.

The California Highway Patrol has implemented travel restrictions on Interstate 80 between Reno and Sacramento, requiring drivers to install tire chains.

On the bright side, California water officials said the storm should provide a much-needed shot in the arm for the Sierra, which is critical to the state’s water supply and which has seen far below normal levels of water so far this season. California Department of Water Resources officials said Thursday that snowpack is 80% of average so far but only 70% of the typical peak on April 1.

“Today’s results show how important the next month will be for our water supply prospects for the coming year,” hydrometeorologist Angelique Fabbiani-Leon said during a briefing at Phillips Station, a snowpack measurement site south of Lake Tahoe. .