- Written by Madeline Halpert
- BBC News, New York
image source, Getty Images
The most extreme weather is expected in the highest regions
Several ski resorts across California closed Friday as the state prepares for a major snowstorm that will hit the Sierra Nevada region over the weekend.
California officials closed roads as California and neighboring Nevada braced for up to 10 feet (3 meters) of snow.
Wind gusts could exceed 140 mph (225 kph) in the Sierra Nevada.
The area already has about 2 feet of snow.
The highest elevations of mountainous regions can expect the most extreme weather, including heavy snowfall and fierce winds.
The storm is expected to make landfall in the area on Thursday and strengthen after midnight Friday. Snow could fall at a rate of 3 to 5 inches (7.6 cm to 12.7 cm) per hour on Friday and Saturday.
The National Weather Prediction Center warned that the storm is “likely to cause significant, prolonged disruption to daily life in the highlands of the Sierra Nevada from Friday into Saturday.”
The weather service added that travel conditions in the Sierra Nevada region will range from “extremely dangerous to impossible.” There is also a possibility of an avalanche.
As a result, authorities closed large sections of Interstate 80, the Sierra Nevada highway.
Yosemite National Park was closed over the weekend, and more than a dozen ski resorts around Lake Tahoe also ceased operations.
So far, there have been no reports of serious injuries, but California officials have told U.S. media that they are responding to vehicle crashes along Interstate 80, as well as accidents involving people sliding off the road or getting stuck. Ta.
Strong and dangerous wind gusts are also expected in parts of Utah and Arizona.
The storm comes after a slow start to the region’s snow season. Mountain snowpack typically supplies a significant portion of California’s water supply.
Conditions are expected to improve on Monday, but more snow is possible by the middle of next week.
