Sierra storm: 10,000 without power as Placer County declares local emergency
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Northern California Winter Storm
A powerful winter storm that lasted through the holiday weekend has hit Northern California with snow and rain. Here’s the latest weather news.
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Placer County proclaimed a local emergency Wednesday evening, as a winter storm that battered much of the Tahoe area has left thousands of residents without power.
Heavy snow during the holiday weekend has downed trees and utility lines, and left large trucks and cars struggling to navigate roads. The storm has also damaged county infrastructure, such as the county water agency’s Boardman canal in Colfax.
Tens of thousands of residents across the Sierra have been plunged into darkness for days, with about 56,000 PG&E customers still without power as of Wednesday morning between Placer, El Dorado, Sierra and Nevada counties.
Placer County officials said Wednesday evening that over 10,000 residents still do not have power, and extended outages in the foothills and mountains are expected for several more days.
The local emergency declaration acknowledges that the crisis in Placer County is beyond the capabilities of local resources, and requests state and federal assistance.
“We are grateful to our roads and first responder partners for working around the clock to support our residents through this storm,” said county emergency services assistant director Dave Atkinson in a statement.
“While we have all our local resources committed to this weather incident, this proclamation is a crucial step to making sure that we have access to all additional resources that may be needed.”
Over the weekend, California’s central Sierra Nevada mountain range received more than 3 feet of snow in 24 hours, and has seen more snow this month than any December in recorded history.
Winter storm warnings from the National Weather Service remain in effect until at least 10 p.m. Wednesday night, with another 1 to 3 inches of snow expected.
County and state officials continue to urge residents to avoid traveling to and around the area until visibility and conditions improve.
This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 5:56 PM.
