Traveling over Sierra Nevada starting Wednesday is highly discouraged by the National Weather Service amid this week’s chain of winter storms that can cause numerous feet of snow to Northern California mountains, SFGATE reported.
“Thursday through Friday is probably going to be the worst for travel,” Amanda Young, weather service meteorologist, said.
An estimate of six to eight feet of fresh snow is being projected by the weather service, which can pile up at elevations of 6, 500, and above. Through the weekend, the localized amounts can even increase up to ten feet.
The NWS cautioned about perilous travel starting from 1 in the afternoon on Tuesday through 4 in the afternoon on Sunday because of the heavy snow.
Motorists are told by the weather agency to be ready for massive delays, road closings, chain control, as well as near white-out conditions.
Young said: “Snow levels will be somewhat high with the first storm on Wednesday into Thursday and they’ll start to gradually drop beginning Thursday night into Friday.”
“They’ll drop to nearly the valley floor on Saturday and Sunday,” she added.
The weather service furthered that snow levels are projected to fall as low as 2, 500 to 3, 500 feet from Thursday night to Friday.
“We have a series of winter storms coming through,” Young said. “It’s drawing up some tropical moisture and it’s contributing to copious amounts of snowfall in the higher elevations.”
Latest highway conditions are available for view through Caltrans’ quickmap.dot.ca.gov.
