NEVADA – At least nine Lake Tahoe ski resorts closed and visitors to Yosemite National Park were asked to urgently leave Friday as the most powerful storm of the season hit California hit the Sierra Nevada, where residents were urged to seek shelter as they prepared for up to 3 meters (10 feet) of snow in some areas.
The storm began moving into the region on Thursday, with the greatest effects expected to close major highways and cause power outages from Friday afternoon into Saturday. A blizzard warning through Sunday morning covers a 300-mile (482-kilometer) stretch from north of Lake Tahoe to south of Yosemite National Park.
Forecasters predict that up to 10 feet (3 meters) of snow is possible in the mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe by the weekend, with 3 to 6 feet (0.9 to 1.8 meters) in communities around lake shores and 30 centimeters (more than a foot) possible in the valleys of the eastern Sierra front, including Reno.
Winds are expected to exceed 185 kilometers per hour (115 miles per hour) over the Sierra peaks and 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. “Really real blizzard conditions with several feet of snow and very high winds, the potential for power outages and the fact that roads probably won’t clear as quickly or effectively as they normally would, even during a major winter storm.”
Source: AP
