(AP) COLFAX, Calif. — A major Christmas weekend storm in Northern California and Nevada caused whiteout conditions and closed key highways amid blowing snow, with forecasters warning that travel in the Sierra Nevada could be difficult for several days.
Three people were injured in a 20-car pileup on U.S. Route 395 near Reno on Sunday, according to authorities. Drivers reported limited visibility. A 70-mile (112-kilometer) stretch of Interstate 80 from Colfax, California, through the Lake Tahoe region to the Nevada state line was closed until at least Monday.
Many other roads were also closed by the California Department of Transportation, which issued a warning to motorists about the icy conditions.
On Sunday, the National Weather Service office in Reno, Nevada, tweeted, “Expect major travel delays on all roads.” “Today is the kind of day where you should just stay at home if you can.” There’ll be more snow on the way as well!”
Because of possible “widespread whiteout conditions” and wind gusts of up to 45 mph, the National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for greater Lake Tahoe until 1 a.m. Tuesday (72 kph).
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From San Diego to Seattle, the weather was choppy. Near Port Angeles on Washington’s Puget Sound, more than a foot (0.3 meters) of snow was reported. According to the weather service, Portland, Oregon received a dusting, but another 2.5 inches (6 centimeters) was expected by Monday morning.
In the Big Sur region south of the San Francisco Bay Area, rockslides caused by heavy rain closed more than 40 miles (64 kilometers) of coastal Highway 1. There was no timetable for reopening the scenic stretch, which is frequently closed due to inclement weather.
Late Saturday, the latest in a string of blustery storms pounded Southern California with heavy rain and wind, flooding streets and knocking down power lines. According to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, strong winds toppled trees, damaged carports, and blew a track-and-field shed from a Goleta high school into a front yard two blocks away. There were no injuries reported.
The weather service reported that more than 1.8 inches (4.5 centimeters) of rain fell in Santa Barbara County’s San Marcos pass over the course of 24 hours, while Rocky Butte in San Luis Obispo County received 1.61 inches (4 centimeters).
Terminal 5 at Los Angeles International Airport was partially closed due to a “storm-related electrical issue,” forcing post-Christmas passengers to divert to other terminals for certain services.
“It will be important to check your flight status today if flying through Terminal 5 because cancellations and delays are possible,” LAX tweeted.
Crews were repairing a section of State Route 18 in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles that washed down a hillside after heavy rain late Thursday. Officials say the closure of the main route into the Big Bear ski resort area could last weeks.
In parched California, where the Sierra snowpack had been dangerously low after weeks of dry weather, the continued storms were welcomed. On Christmas Eve, however, the state Department of Water Resources reported that the snowpack was between 114 and 137 percent of normal across the range, with more snow expected.
At the Sierra’s highest elevations, up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) of snow was predicted.
Homewood, on Lake Tahoe’s west shore, had already received 20 inches (50 centimeters) of snow by Sunday. Snowfall totaled about a foot (30 centimeters) at Northstar near Truckee, California, and 10 inches (25 centimeters) at Mount Rose on Reno’s southwest outskirts.
