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Blustery, cold storm adds to California's big snowpack

By The Associated Press

Published February 6, 2023 at 11:36 AM PST

This story was published more than 1 year ago.

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In this photo provided by the California Department of Water Resources, forecasting chief Sean de Guzman, second from right, and engineers work the measurement phase of the first media snow survey of the season at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. The snowpack in California's mountains is off to one of its best starts in 40 years, officials announced Tuesday, offering hope that the drought-stricken state could soon see relief in the spring when the snow melts and flows into reservoirs that provide water for drinking and farming. — In this photo provided by the California Department of Water Resources, forecasting chief Sean de Guzman, second from right, and engineers work the measurement phase of the first media snow survey of the season at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023.

A blustery weekend storm added to California's big mountain snowpack, leaving icy conditions in the Sierra Nevada early Monday.

Chains were required on sections of Sierra highways, but a backcountry avalanche warning for the greater Lake Tahoe area expired around sunrise.

For a time on Sunday, about 74 miles (119 kilometers) of U.S. 395 were closed due to whiteout conditions, according to the California Department of Transportation.

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The storm dropped 16 inches to 24 inches (40-61 centimeters) of snow at Mammoth Mountain in the Eastern Sierra and the season total so far at its main lodge surpassed 400 inches (1,016 cm), the resort's website said.

“It is incredibly cold out there,” the resort said.

Blustery, cold storm adds to California's big snowpack

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