Whiteout conditions are pummeling the Western United States, leaving cars and trucks stranded and people buried in their homes for days in a row.
The monster winter storm shut down hundreds of miles of California highways. Extremely heavy snowfall rates are hitting the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, with some parts seeing up to 12 feet of snow and powerful wind gusts clocking in at up to 190 miles per hour.
Massive snowdrifts have people working to fig out their homes and cars as they brace for yet another storm set to hit Sunday evening that is forecast to drop up to another two feet of snow.
The storm hit the region on Thursday, with a blizzard warning stretching 300 miles through Sunday morning. Another storm is expected next week, bringing 1 to 2 feet of snow, so the National Weather Service is now placing a winter storm warning in effect until Wednesday morning.
Emergency officials are urging people to take shelter and remain there until conditions improve. Many have taken to social media to document what they are seeing.
Some ski resorts have begun to reopen after avalanche dangers closed them earlier in the weekend. But with the threat of a new storm approaching, the Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort in California posted a warning on Facebook:
"The battle continues…Please do not attempt to come to the resort, as heavy machinery is working swiftly on the roads + on the mountain."
One upside of the storm will be its effect on California's water supply. A survey conducted by California’s Department of Water Resources before the storm found that snowpack in some areas was already at 80% of the March average.
California and Nevada storm shuts interstate, dumps snow on mountains
California authorities shut down 100 miles of I-80 due to "spin outs, high winds, and low visibility."
