The most powerful Pacific storm of the season is forecast to bring up to 10 feet of snow into the Sierra Nevada by the weekend. Blizzard conditions have forced residents to take shelter and prompted at least one Lake Tahoe ski resort to close Friday. Yosemite National Park also plans to close through at least Sunday.
In this photo provided by Mammoth Lakes Tourism, snowboarders walk in the snow on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. Skiers enjoy a day of skiing and snow fall at North Star California Resort on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, Truckee, Calif.
Winds are expected to gust in excess of 115 mph over Sierra ridgetops, and 70 mph at lower elevations. At Yosemite National Park, visitors were told to leave the park as soon as possible — no later than noon Friday. The park is closed at least through noon Sunday, with the possibility that could be extended, park officials said on social media. Authorities noted that more than 7 feet of snow could fall in the Badger Pass area.
On the bright side, California water officials said the storm should provide a much-needed shot in the arm to the Sierra snowpack, which is vital to the state’s water supplies and sits. Extreme weather continues to affect the ski industry, as U.S. ski areas could lose around $1 billion annually in coming years due to a changing climate,
“When a storm comes in, people have a tough time getting there, so there’s sometimes less crowds on the mountains and there is untracked, fresh snow that it’s super light and you float on it. It’s fantastic!” he said.Richard Cunningham said he has heard before about forecasts for the storm of the century that didn’t materialize since he moved from Las Vegas to Reno in 1997.That was before blue skies gave way to clouds and gusty winds that blew the roof off a shed east of Reno Thursday afternoon.
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