The latest snowstorm to hit the Sierra Nevada in the past week is keeping portions of Interstate 80, as well as U.S. and state routes in eastern California, shut down until further notice. This is according to officials with the California Department of Transportation and the California Highway Patrol.
Blizzard conditions have been producing whiteouts and zero visibility in some areas since Friday (Christmas Eve). The heavy snow and high winds have toppled trees and power lines, knocking out power to tens of thousands of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) customers.
Related: At least 3 injured in Nevada pileup during blizzard
PG&E said about 69,000 customers were without power in the company’s Sierra division, which includes El Dorado, Nevada, Placer and Sierra counties, as of 8:45 a.m. PT Monday.
“This is an all-hands-on-deck situation for PG&E,” spokesperson Megan McFarland told KCRA-TV in Sacramento. “We are bringing in crews from other areas and working closely with first responders including Caltrans to gain access. Access is a major challenge as some of the roads still need to be cleared. Right now we are in the assessment phase, getting access to all the outages, seeing what has gone wrong and what kind of fixes are needed.”
Authorities continue to discourage mountain travel. Interstate 80 will remain closed from Applegate Road in Placer County to the Nevada state line all day Monday due to heavy snow and downed power lines, according to Caltrans. This is a distance of about 85 miles. U.S. Highway 50 is closed from Placerville to Meyers, a 70-mile stretch.
Some places in the Sierra Nevada have reported 5 to 10-plus feet of snow since Thursday, with wind gusts close to 100 mph. Blizzard conditions expected to last through Monday evening.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.
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