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California blizzard leaves residents tunneling out with more snow on the way: Live

Communities across the region were digging out after snow reached up to roof lines in some towns

Michelle Del Rey,Andrea Cavallier,Louise Boyle
Wednesday 06 March 2024 00:02 EST
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100mph Winds And 12ft Of Snow Expected In California Storm

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Snow continued to fall across parts of California and Nevada on Tuesday after a blizzard dumped up to 10ft of snow, shutting down major highways for three days and trapping people in their homes.

Isolated, light snow showers would continue across the Sierra Nevada until Thursday morning, the National Weather Service reported, but drier and warmer conditions were expected by the end of the week.

Communities across the region were digging out after snow reached up to roof lines in some towns, and trapped people inside. More than 7,500 customers remained without power in some California counties, according to utility tracker poweroutage.us.

Localized, heavy rainfall is expected on Tuesday for northern California with downpours moving into southern California on Wednesday. Due a recent glut of atmospheric rivers hitting the state, there will be the threat of isolated flash flooding, NWS reported.

California’s blizzard in pictures

Patrons enter Jax At The Tracks diner past snow drifts in downtown Truckee, Calif., Sunday, March 3, 2024
Patrons enter Jax At The Tracks diner past snow drifts in downtown Truckee, Calif., Sunday, March 3, 2024 (AP)
Residents clear out snow in front of their home on Donner Pass Road during a powerful multiple day winter storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains
Residents clear out snow in front of their home on Donner Pass Road during a powerful multiple day winter storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains (Getty Images)
Workers clear snow off the roof of a building during a blizzard Sunday, March 3, 2024, in Olympic Valley, California
Workers clear snow off the roof of a building during a blizzard Sunday, March 3, 2024, in Olympic Valley, California (AP)
Homes are covered in snow during a powerful multiple day winter storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains, which is boosting the snowpack, on March 03, 2024 in Truckee, California
Homes are covered in snow during a powerful multiple day winter storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains, which is boosting the snowpack, on March 03, 2024 in Truckee, California (Getty Images)
Louise Boyle6 March 2024 05:02

What is the Donner pass, the treacherous California mountain route notorious for cannibalism incident

Donner Pass, a stretch of road 7,088 feet above sea level in Nevada County, California, was hit with 80 inches of snow over the weekend as the state battled one of its most historic snowstorms.

Louise Boyle6 March 2024 04:32

PHOTOS: Storm covers northern California in massive snowfall

A lone camper truck moves north bound on the I-80 at the Donner Pass Exit on Friday, March 1, 2024
A lone camper truck moves north bound on the I-80 at the Donner Pass Exit on Friday, March 1, 2024 (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
A sign warms motorists of parking restrictions as snow falls Friday, March 1
A sign warms motorists of parking restrictions as snow falls Friday, March 1 (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Workers clear train tracks as snow falls north of Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada mountains during a powerful winter storm on March 01, 2024 in Truckee, California
Workers clear train tracks as snow falls north of Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada mountains during a powerful winter storm on March 01, 2024 in Truckee, California (Getty Images)
Louise Boyle6 March 2024 04:00

West coast weather forecast: The latest

One more day of heavy snow in the mountains and at higher elevations is forecast in the West on Tuesday, the National Weather Service reported.

An influx of moisture from Pacific was targeting northern California and the southern Pacific Northwest into the northern Great Basin and Rockies.

Several more inches of snow are forecast from the southern Cascades and northern Sierra east to the Tetons in Wyoming. A cold front has also brought snow to lower elevations from southern Oregon to western Idaho.

In northern and central California, snowfall will taper off on Wednesday. However, localized, heavy rainfall is expected on Tuesday for northern California with downpours expected in southern California on Wednesday.

Due a recent glut of atmospheric rivers hitting the state, there will be the threat of isolated flash flooding, NWS reported.

Louise Boyle6 March 2024 03:30

2 snowmobilers killed in separate avalanches in Washington and Idaho

Two snowmobilers have been killed in separate avalanches in Washington state and in Idaho.

Two snowmobilers riding in the Cascade Mountains west of Yakima, Washington, triggered a slide Friday in a bowl near Darland Mountain, according to the Northwest Avalanche Center. The rider who did not survive was described as fully buried. The rider’s name wasn’t released.

“While we don’t know for sure, this avalanche likely failed on older persistent weak layers in the snowpack,” the organization said, adding that many other areas are dealing with the same problem. (Associated Press)

Louise Boyle6 March 2024 02:00

In pictures: Californians dig out from crippling blizzard

: A person walks at Boreal Mountain Resort, currently shuttered due to the snowstorm, following a massive snowstorm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 04, 2024 at Soda Springs, California
: A person walks at Boreal Mountain Resort, currently shuttered due to the snowstorm, following a massive snowstorm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 04, 2024 at Soda Springs, California (Getty Images)
In an aerial view, homes are covered in snow following a massive snowstorm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 04, 2024 near Soda Springs
In an aerial view, homes are covered in snow following a massive snowstorm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 04, 2024 near Soda Springs (Getty Images)
A snow blower operates following a massive snowstorm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 04, 2024 in Soda Springs, California
A snow blower operates following a massive snowstorm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 04, 2024 in Soda Springs, California (Getty Images)
Louise Boyle6 March 2024 01:32

How to register to vote in California today for Super Tuesday

California is one of 15 states and one territory going to the polls on Super Tuesday, giving voters the chance to have their say on the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees, along with the outcome of a number of crucial House and Senate races.

If you live in California but are not currently registered to vote, never fear: The state has same-day voter registration. For more details, follow the link here.

Louise Boyle6 March 2024 01:02

Ski resorts reopen in Tahoe

The Palisades Tahoe ski resort reported on Tuesday that it received an additional two inches of snow on the mountain on Monday, bringing the five-day total to 98 inches.

The largest skiing complex in the Lake Tahoe region, along with others, was forced to close this past weekend because it received too much snow, along with powerful winds, which caused low visibility. Many, including Palisades, had now reopened.

Palisades Tahoe ski resort on Sunday
Palisades Tahoe ski resort on Sunday (AP)
Louise Boyle6 March 2024 00:30

‘Moderate travel impacts'

Travelling through the Sierra Nevada mountain range will be difficult at times until Wednesday morning, forecasters with the National Weather Service office in Sacramento said.

Louise Boyle5 March 2024 23:32

Downpours incoming

The National Weather Service in Los Angeles shared the potential rainfall amounts for the incoming storm system. Rain and mountain snow is expected to spread through the area on Wednesday.

The heaviest downpours will be north of Pasadena, east of Ojai and north of Santa Barbara in Santa Ynez and Big Pine Mountain.

Louise Boyle5 March 2024 23:03

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