1 year ago
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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — A wintertime tempest that sent skis assistance chairs swinging and closed upland highways successful the Sierra Nevada volition propulsion crossed the United States and scope the Plains by mid-week, bringing important rainfall and below-average temperatures.
Marc Chenard, meteorologist astatine the National Weather Service astatine the nationalist halfway successful College Park, Maryland, said “it volition beryllium a engaged week portion this strategy moves crossed the country.”
Heavy snowfall fell successful the Sierra Nevada portion downpours astatine little elevations triggered flood watches Sunday crossed ample swaths of California into Nevada.
The Heavenly skis edifice astatine Lake Tahoe unopen down immoderate operations erstwhile the brunt of the tempest deed Saturday. The edifice posted video of assistance chairs swaying violently due to the fact that of gusts that topped 100 mph (161 kph), on with a tweeted reminder that upwind closures are “always for your safety.”
To the south, Mammoth Mountain reported that much than 20 inches (51 cm) of snowfall fell Saturday, with different 2 feet (.6 meters) imaginable arsenic the process extremity of the strategy moved done the eastbound Sierra.
The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab successful Soda Springs, California reported Sunday greeting that much than 43 inches (110 cm) had fallen successful a 48-hour span.
A 70-mile (112-km) 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 and different routes successful the mountains from Reno toward Sacramento.
Many different cardinal roads were closed due to the fact that of dense snow, including a agelong of California Highway 89 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 wherever it said “several feet of caller snowfall and beardown winds volition effect successful unsafe avalanche conditions.”
Gusts up to 50 mph (80 kph) that sent trees into homes successful Sonoma County northbound of San Francisco connected Saturday could scope 100 mph (160 kph) 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 (5 cm) successful the Bay Area and up to 5 inches (13 cm) 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’s LA-area bureau said successful a statement.
Forecasters successful Arizona issued a wintertime tempest ticker for bluish and cardinal Arizona opening Sunday evening for areas supra 5000 feet (1,525 meters) including Flagstaff, Prescott and the Grand Canyon, wherever icy temperatures and up to a ft of snowfall was predicted.
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