Storm blowing through California dumps snow in Sierra - NBC News

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Heavy snowfall fell successful the Sierra Nevada arsenic a wintertime tempest packing almighty winds sent skis assistance chairs swinging and closed upland highways portion downpours astatine little elevations triggered flood watches Sunday crossed ample swaths of California into Nevada.

More than 250 miles of the Sierra from northbound of Reno southbound to Yosemite National Park remained nether wintertime tempest warnings either until precocious Sunday oregon aboriginal Monday.

The Heavenly skis edifice astatine Lake Tahoe unopen down immoderate operations connected Saturday erstwhile the brunt of the tempest hit. The edifice posted video of assistance chairs swaying violently due to the fact that of gusts that topped 100 mph, on with a tweeted reminder that upwind closures are “always for your safety.”

To the south, Mammoth Mountain reported that much than 20 inches of snowfall fell Saturday, with different 2 feet imaginable connected Sunday arsenic the process extremity of the strategy moves done the eastbound Sierra.

The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab reported Sunday greeting that much than 43 inches had fallen successful a 48-hour span.

A 70-mile agelong of eastbound U.S. Interstate 80 was closed Saturday “due to zero visibility” from the bluish California municipality of Colfax to the Nevada authorities line, proscription officials said. Chains were required connected overmuch of the remainder of I-80 successful the mountains from Reno toward Sacramento.

A agelong of California Highway 89 besides was closed owed to dense snowfall betwixt Tahoe City and South Lake Tahoe, the road patrol said.

The U.S. Forest Service issued an avalanche informing for the backcountry successful the mountains westbound of Lake Tahoe, where, it said, “several feet of caller snowfall and beardown winds volition effect successful unsafe avalanche conditions.”

A idiosyncratic operates a snowfall blower successful Truckee, Calif., connected Dec. 4.Hale Irwin / Sipa USA via AP

Gusts up to 50 mph that sent trees into homes successful Sonoma County northbound of San Francisco connected Saturday could scope 100 mph implicit Sierra ridgetops connected Sunday, the National Weather Service said.

Heavy rainfall was forecast done the play from San Francisco to the Sierra crest with up to 2 inches successful the Bay Area and up to 5 inches astatine Grass Valley northeast of Sacramento.

Warnings and watches were besides up crossed Southern California, arsenic dense rainfall caused localized flooding successful greater Los Angeles.

“Significant question delays imaginable with accumulating snowfall connected respective upland roads. This could see the Tejon Pass and Grapevine country of Interstate 5,” the National Weather Service said successful a statement.

As the tempest exits California and Nevada, it volition propulsion crossed the state and scope the Plains by mid-week, bringing important rainfall and below-average temperatures, said Marc Chenard, meteorologist astatine the National Weather Service astatine the nationalist halfway successful College Park, Maryland.

“It volition beryllium a engaged week portion this strategy moves crossed the country,” Chenard said Sunday.