As a winter storm with strong winds drove ski lift chairs swinging and downpours at lower altitudes prompted flood warnings on Sunday, heavy snow fell in the Sierra Nevada.
Winter storm warnings were in effect for more than 250 miles of the Sierra from north of Reno to south of Yosemite National Park through late Sunday or early Monday.
With broad regions of California predicted to be impacted, the National Weather Service used colorful terminology to describe the storm as an atmospheric “bowling ball.”
According to Marc Chenard, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s national headquarters in College Park, Maryland, once the storm exits the western half of the country, it will move across the nation and reach the Plains by mid-week, bringing heavy rain and below-average temperatures.
It will be a busy week as this system goes through the nation, Chenard said on Sunday, adding that the northeast may get six to 10 inches of snowfall.
The National Weather Service has issued a warning that the storm, which was expected to move across the country from Colorado to Minnesota with driving snow, strong winds, and freezing rain, might “grow into a potential blizzard” in the following days.
The meteorological agency forewarned that “heavy snow would cause substantial consequences to numerous places throughout the nation.” Travel could be rendered impossible.
When the storm slammed Lake Tahoe’s Heavenly ski resort on Saturday, some activities were suspended throughout the weekend.
The resort tweeted a caution that wind closures are “always for your safety” and shared footage of lift seats wobbling uncontrollably due to winds above 100 mph.
With an additional 2 feet of snowfall potentially expected as the system’s tail end passed across the eastern Sierra, Mammoth Mountain in the south reported that more than 20 inches of snow fell on Saturday.
More than 43 inches fell in a 48-hour period, according to a study published on Sunday morning by the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab in Soda Springs, California.
From the northern California town of Colfax to the Nevada state border, a 70-mile section of eastbound U.S. Interstate 80 was shut down on Saturday ‘because to zero visibility,’ according to transportation authorities. Much of the remaining I-80 and other mountain roads from Reno to Sacramento needed snow chains.
Heavy snow forced the closure of several other important roadways, including a section of California Highway 89 between Tahoe City and South Lake Tahoe, according to the highway patrol.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, “several feet of fresh snow and high winds may result in severe avalanche conditions” in the backcountry of the mountains west of Lake Tahoe.
The National Weather Service said that gusts of up to 50 mph pushed trees into houses in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, on Saturday, and that strong gusts of 100 mph were expected across the Sierra ridgetops.
Up to two inches of rain in the Bay Area and up to five inches in Grass Valley, northeast of Sacramento, were predicted to fall heavily from San Francisco to the Sierra crest.
As isolated flooding occurred in greater Los Angeles as a result of heavy rain, warnings and watches were also issued across Southern California.
“Serious delays in travel may be experienced due to accumulated snow on various mountain routes.” The Tejon Pass and Grapevine section of Interstate 5 might be affected, according to the National Weather Service office in the LA region.
For regions over 5000 feet, including Flagstaff, Prescott, and the Grand Canyon, forecasters in Arizona issued a winter storm watch on Sunday evening. Icy temperatures and up to a foot of snow were expected in these elevations, which included Flagstaff, Prescott, and the Grand Canyon.
Get ready for the Snowmageddon! Monday’s winter storm is anticipated to strike the Northeast, and forecasters have advised residents in upstate New York to prepare for six to ten inches of snow.
Through Vanessa Serna
It’s predicted that certain Northeastern states will get their first snowfall of the year, with some locales receiving up to 10 inches of snow by Monday.
Winter weather advisories have been issued for northeastern Pennsylvania, upstate New York, northwest Connecticut, northwest New Jersey, New England, and western Massachusetts due to the expected heavy snowfall.
While the snow may accumulate heavier in American suburbs, northern New York City and the mid-Hudson Valley may also get a blanket of snow.
High mountains may receive up to 10 inches of snow, while Fox Weather reports that the Catskills in New York and the western Berkshires in Massachusetts may only experience up to 6 inches.
Residents and commuters in New York, northern New Jersey, New England, and northern Pennsylvania should anticipate one to three inches of snow on Monday.
Roads may become slick as a result of the circumstances, particularly if snowfall enters urban areas.
On Sunday night, just north of The Big Apple, the rain may change to snow on the I-95.
As of Sunday night, New York City is expected to have moderate snowfall from 10 p.m. local time until 1 a.m. on Monday.
If snow falls in New York City, it will be the first time since March 27 that the city has seen snowfall.
Monsey, New York had its first snowfall of the season, and up to three inches of snow is forecast for other parts of the state.
Video of the snowstorm showed automobiles, house rooftops, and grass that had a thin covering of snow on them.
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