Large blizzard, with wind gusts of 190 mph, turns a slow snowfall season to above average in 4 days
The blizzard that walloped the mountains of California over the weekend began to wind down on Monday, leaving behind huge amounts of snow along with power outages, snarled roads and buried ski resorts.
The Sugar Bowl ski resort in California reported 127 inches of snow from the storm as of Monday morning. Several others in the region reported totals in the 100- to 120-inch range, according to data collected by the National Weather Service.
Wind speed reaches 190 mph at Palisades Tahoe
The powerful blizzard began late last week, but it was at its most intense Sunday, when wind gusts reached 190 mph and whiteout conditions left hundreds of people stranded in their cars for hours. Parts of Nevada, Utah and Colorado also received heavy wind gusts and several inches of snow.
Weekend snowfall pushed Sierra totals above average
Over 6 feet of snow fell since Thursday at the Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, a University of California, Berkeley field research station at Donner Pass in California’s Sierra Nevada.
Snowfall is often measured by water year, which is Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. Here’s how this water year compares with the median and last year’s record-breaker:
“We received a little over 6 feet from this storm, which has done great things for the snowpack and water supply,” said Andrew Schwartz, lead scientist and manager at the Central Sierra Snow Lab.
“This was definitely an intense storm. We’ve had storms with higher snowfall accumulations, but the winds were the real story. We could feel the snow lab shake and shudder at times, and (the winds) caused trees to come down on houses and power lines – there are neighborhoods up here that have been without power for three days.”
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
