Highway closures and chain controls in place as heavy snow falls in Sierra
Wet and snowy weather snarled traffic in the Sierra Nevada on Monday after a winter storm hit the region over the weekend.
Snow has blanketed higher-elevation areas, falling so hard that multiple roadways required chains for cars or were closed entirely.
Westbound Interstate 80 was closed Monday morning from Truckee to the Nevada state line, according to Caltrans, which cited “whiteout conditions” as the reason. Chain controls were in place on Highway 50 from Sly Park to Meyers, and on Highway 89 from Luther Pass to Christmas Valley.
Traffic was held up on westbound Interstate 80 in Truckee Monday from 6:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. after several cars spun out, Caltrans said.
The National Weather Service reported that Sierra at Tahoe received 13 inches of snow in the past 24 hours, and 54 inches of snow since the storm started Friday afternoon.
NWS Reno issued a blizzard warning for the Sierra region Sunday night to Monday night, citing strong winds and the possibility of drifting snow.
“This is a dangerous and life-threatening situation,” the warning reads. “Do not attempt to travel.”
Snow may accumulate in the foothills Monday afternoon and Tuesday, according to NWS meteorologists, who said snow may begin to fall at elevations as low as 2,000 feet on Monday night.
Sacramento Valley residents got their share of wind and wet weather, too. As of 4 a.m. Monday, about an inch of rain had fallen in the area, said NWS Sacramento meteorologist Karleisa Rogacheski, with wind gusts recorded at 25 miles per hour at Sacramento International Airport.
Cold weather was expected throughout the Valley through Tuesday, Rogacheski said, with temperatures in the low 30s predicted for the area Monday and Tuesday night.
Sacramento Valley residents may see enough dry weather to store umbrellas and rain boots for a couple of days. Rain will hit some parts of the region again Tuesday night, but Sacramento won’t see any more wet weather until the weekend, according to Rogacheski.
Wednesday will be clear and cold, Rogacheski predicted, though Thursday and Friday will bring warmer weather and clouds to the area.
This story was originally published February 4, 2019 at 10:24 AM.