California blizzard shuts down roads and ski resorts as heavy snow and winds continue: Live updates

Around 6.5 million people are under winter weather alerts across the Mountain West, with blizzard warnings still in effect for the Sierra Nevada, CNN reported.

The blizzard has closed a 70-mile stretch of Interstate 80 near the Nevada state line for more than a day after highway officials reported stranded drivers Friday night.

“Extremely heavy snowfall rates of 2-6 inches an hour combined with very strong winds exceeding 100 mph at times will maintain impossible travel conditions in the Sierra Nevada,” the Weather Prediction Center said.

National Weather Service meteorologist William Churchill said snow totals by late Sunday would range from 5 to 12 feet, with the highest accumulations at elevations above 5,000 feet. Lower elevations were inundated with heavy rain.

He called the storm an “extreme blizzard for the Sierra Nevada, in particular, as well as other portions of Nevada and even extending into Utah and portions of western Colorado.” But he said he didn’t expect records to be broken.

More than 10 feet of snow was expected at higher elevations, National Weather Service meteorologist William Churchill said Saturday, creating a “life-threatening concern” for residents in the region around Lake Tahoe and blocking travel on the key east-west freeway.

He said that while the storm may not set records, it was an “extreme blizzard for the Sierra Nevada in particular as well as other portions of Nevada, and even extending into Utah and portions of western Colorado.”

“It’s certainly just about as bad as it gets in terms of the snow totals and the winds,” he said. “It doesn’t get much worse than that.”

The NWS warned that widespread blowing snow was creating “extremely dangerous to impossible” travel conditions, with wind gusts in the high mountains at more than 100 mph.

A powerful blizzard raged overnight into Saturday in the Sierra Nevada as the biggest storm of the season shut down a long stretch of Interstate-80 in California and gusty winds and heavy rain hit lower elevations, leaving tens of thousands of customers without power.

The Sugar Bowl Ski resort near Norden, California posted a video that shows just how much snow they got overnight – so much that they couldn’t even get out the door.

They tweeted that they got 20-24″ of snow overnight.

And more snow is expected this weekend in the area.

Snow totals for the past 48 hours in the mountains east of Sacramento are already high – and the storm isn’t over yet.

Forcasters expect more moderate to heavy snow through Sunday.

Dangerous blizzard conditions in northern California have forced many ski resorts to close.

The resorts are citing too much snow, high winds and generally unsafe conditions. Some are hoping to open Sunday as conditions are forecast to improve.

Officials are warning people not to travel to the area and I-80 was closed Friday overnight into Saturday.

As of Saturday morning, these ski resorts are closed: Bear Valley, Boreal Mountain and Woodward Tahoe; Donner Ski Ranch: Runs are closed but the Old 40 Bar & Grill is open.

Storm chasers in Truckee, California were digging their car out of the snow after being buried in this week’s blizzard.

“We are buried in Truckee, with heavy snow continuing and another 2-3 feet of more snow likely by tomorrow afternoon,” according to the tweet.