The state of California is facing down yet another record winter storm that could bring with it historic snowfall.
The storm will begin on Thursday and will likely continue through Sunday with blizzard warnings in effect for the Sierra Nevada. Per the San Francisco Chronicle:
A prolonged storm will begin Thursday and is anticipated to continue through Sunday. In the Sierra Nevada, blizzard warnings are in effect for potentially historic snowfall, with up to 12 feet possible. While the mountains will take the brunt of the impacts, the Bay Area can expect the same weather system to bring periods of heavy rain, gusty winds and accumulating snow above 2,500 feet.
Snowfall forecasts in the Sierra Nevada have remained consistent over the past few days, with the probability of higher-end totals increasing as the storm approaches. Up to 12 feet of snow is possible along the western Sierra crest, including Donner Pass, with up to 4 feet in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Locations along Interstate 80 in Placer County, including the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, could set single-day snowfall records, topping the previous high of 49 inches, set at Squaw Valley (now Palisades Tahoe) in 1958. A blizzard warning is in effect from Thursday morning through Sunday morning.
Fox Weather notes that the record snowfall in California’s mountain regions could be as high as 10 feet, with the worst of it being felt in the Sierra Nevada. People have been advised to avoid mountain travel through the weekend. The NWS Reno Office even warned that walking outside could be hazardous.
“We’re getting to the point where snowfall amount probabilities in the Sierra/northeast (California) won’t even matter,” warned the NWS Reno Office. “Snow amounts will be so much and difficult to accurately measure due to strong winds producing prolonged periods of near-zero visibility and blowing/drifting snow capable of burying vehicles and making it difficult to locate roads.”
“Even walking outside would not be advised during this storm as a person could quickly become lost or disoriented,” it added.
First impacts of the storm have already been felt in Washington and Oregon.
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