[MSN] The Sierra Avalanche Center issued an avalanche warning for a broad stretch of the Sierra that included greater Lake Tahoe, with high avalanche danger expected to threaten skiers until Wednesday morning. The warning comes as a winter storm makes landfall on the Northern California coast, pushing snowfall totals to their highest levels in decades and expanding the state's snowpack after years of dire drought.
The powerful storm was expected to drop as much as 6 feet of snow on the Sierra crest, meteorologists with the National Weather Service predicted Monday in what they were calling a "significant snowfall" event that could blanket the communities around the Lake Tahoe basin in up to 4 feet of snow.
A blizzard warning took effect at 11 a.m. Monday and will remain in effect until Wednesday morning as meteorologists warned of multiple more rounds of heavy snowfall and sub-zero wind chills before the storm recedes.
The California Highway Patrol discouraged drivers from crossing mountainous roads near the Donner Summit, warning that travelers should "expect long delays, high winds, zero visibility, and road closures."
All the passes, e.g., Donner, Echo, Carson will be closed at times the next 48 hours and even at lower elevations, avalanche danger is great. Other winter storms are expected through mid March. On the good side almost all California reservoirs are in excellent condition counting both water in storage and water in snow pack. Also, the valley is not going to be inundated with excessively heavy rain this storm or the next.