- Written by Ali Abbas Ahmadi
- bbc news
Watch: Shoveling California and Nevada
A major snowstorm continues in parts of California and Nevada in the western United States.
It closed major roads and ski resorts in both states, leaving more than 15,000 customers without power.
The snowstorm was particularly heavy in the Sierra Nevada mountains, with wind gusts reportedly reaching 305 km/h (190 mph).
People are being warned of “high to extreme avalanche risk” in the area, including areas around Lake Tahoe.
Outage maps show about 15,000 customers in California and more than 1,000 in Nevada are without power.
A 75-mile (121-kilometer) stretch of Interstate 80 was closed Saturday. “The snowstorm made it difficult for emergency personnel and tow trucks to access the driver,” the California Highway Patrol office in Truckee, near the Nevada border, said on X/Twitter.
image source, Getty Images
Much of the worst weather hits communities living in highlands
Mountainous areas were hardest hit by the storm.
National Weather Service meteorologists said Saturday that more than 3 meters (10 feet) of snow was expected at higher elevations, potentially causing “life-threatening concerns” for people living near Lake Tahoe. Ta.
Several ski resorts around the lake were closed Friday and remained closed Saturday. Some hope to reopen later Sunday.
“It's snowing pretty hard, it's very windy, and about half the town is without power,” Thomas Petkanas, a bartender at Alibi Ale Works in Incline Village near Lake Tahoe, told The Associated Press. He spoke at
“We are one of the few spots available today,” he added.
image source, Getty Images
Several major roads were closed due to snow
Yosemite National Park was closed Friday and visitors were asked to leave by noon. It will remain closed until at least Sunday afternoon, with further closures possible depending on weather conditions.
Forecasters warned that commuters caught in the storm could take a significant amount of time to dig out of the snow, and urged people to stay put over the weekend.
Other parts of the United States continue to experience extreme weather.
Wildfires are raging in Texas, with firefighters struggling to extinguish large blazes in difficult weather conditions.
