Sierra Nevada Braces for 10 Feet of Snow

At least nine Lake Tahoe ski resorts closed and visitors to Yosemite National Park were told to urgently leave Friday as California's most powerful storm of the season bore down on the Sierra Nevada, where residents were urged to take shelter as they prepared for up to 10 feet of snow in some areas. The storm began barreling into the region on Thursday, with the biggest effects expected to close major highways and trigger power outages into Saturday. A blizzard warning through Sunday morning covers a 300-mile stretch from north of Lake Tahoe to south of Yosemite National Park, per the AP.

• Yes, 10 feet: Meteorologists predict as much as 10 feet of snow is possible in the mountains around Lake Tahoe by the weekend, with 3 to 6 feet in the communities on the lake's shores and more than a foot possible in the valleys on the Sierra's eastern front, including Reno.
• And wind: Winds are expected to gust in excess of 115mph over Sierra ridgetops, and 70mph at lower elevations. Thus, "this will be a legitimate blizzard," said UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain.
• Avalanche threat: Backcountry avalanche warnings were in place around Lake Tahoe, as well as areas around Yosemite National Park stretching down to Mammoth Lakes. The park is closed at least through noon Sunday.
• Silver lining: On the bright side, California water officials said the storm should provide a much-needed shot in the arm to the Sierra snowpack, which is vital to the state's water supplies and sits well below normal so far this season. The snowpack stood at 80% of average to date but only 70% of the typical April 1 peak.

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