Portions of Highway 89 buried under 30 feet of snow near Emerald Bay

A 4-mile section of Highway 89 on either side of Emerald Bay remains closed, with some sections buried in up to 30 feet of snow, according to the California Department of Transportation.

Caltrans maintenance crews are working to clear the highway, but with more storms expected this week, the highway won’t reopen until an extended period of dry weather allows workers to safely clear the area of snow and debris, according to a Caltrans news release.

Motorists traveling between the south shore of Lake Tahoe and the north or west shore will have to use Highway 50 and Highway 28.

The National Weather Service forecasts new snowfall over the Echo and Donner passes from three storms between Wednesday and Monday.

Caltrans advises motorists to plan ahead. Driving tips are are available on the Caltrans website, http://www.dot.ca.gov/cttravel/winter.html. Travelers can check current road conditions and chain requirements on Caltrans QuickMap, http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov. Information also is available by calling the California Highway Information Network automated phone service at 800-427-7623.

This story was originally published January 17, 2017 at 3:56 PM with the headline "Portions of Highway 89 buried under 30 feet of snow near Emerald Bay."