Major storm dumps snow, closes mountain routes in California

Dec 27, 20210

Caltrans via AP count

This image from video provided by Caltrans District 3 shows a closed westbound I-80 on Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021. The road from Colfax, Calif., to the Nevada state line was closed due to heavy snowfall.

COLFAX, Calif. - A major Christmas weekend storm caused whiteout conditions and closed key highways amid blowing snow in mountains of Northern California and Nevada, with forecasters warning that travel in the Sierra Nevada could be difficult for several days.

Authorities near Reno said three people were injured in a 20-car pileup on Interstate 395, where drivers described limited visibility on Sunday. Further west, a 70-mile (112-kilometer) stretch of Interstate 80 was shut until at least Monday from Colfax, California, through the Lake Tahoe region to the Nevada state line.

The California Department of Transportation also closed many other roads while warning of slippery conditions for motorists.

https://www.startribune.com/major-storm-dumps-snow-closes-mountain-routes-in-california/600130411/