Traffic in Sierra at standstill following weekend of snow

Traffic in the Sierra Nevada has been at a near-standstill for most of Sunday as weekend travelers attempted to head home amid snow and slush.

Although both Highway 50 and Interstate 80 are open, chain controls are required on Interstate 80 from Colfax to the Nevada state line, according to the California Highway Patrol.

“Traveling today is still not advised,” the city of Tahoe said in an announcement on Twitter on Sunday. “City snow removal teams are out, but it’s very difficult to keep up with this much snow. Coming up the hill is taking hours longer than normal.”

Most of the snowfall was predicted to fall over the last week, but showers in the foothills Saturday and Sunday brought more snow to the region than the National Weather Service previously predicted.

Snow fell so heavily in Placer County this weekend that a tree fell and smashed into the back of a Placer County sheriff’s vehicle in Dutch Flat. He was not inside the vehicle when the tree fell, according to the department.

Squaw Valley has received 30 inches of snow in the past 24 hours, according to the weather service in Reno. Sierra-at-Tahoe received 20 inches while Heavenly received 15 inches.

This story was originally published February 17, 2019 at 3:39 PM.