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A resident uses a snow blower as it snows in the Sierra Nevada mountains north of Lake Tahoe.
CNN
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A dangerous winter storm is hitting Northern California, with rare snowstorms and fierce winds dumping up to 10 feet of snow on mountains and threatening to leave travelers in the lurch.
In the Sierra Nevada, the storm is producing heavy snow, reduced visibility, downed power lines and hurricane-force winds of more than 125 mph, which are expected to continue into the weekend.
About 500,000 people in the Mountain West are under blizzard warnings, and another 6 million people are under winter weather warnings across the region.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a “hot to extreme” weather warning on Friday. avalanche danger through Sunday afternoon in the Central Sierra and Greater Lake Tahoe regions.
Extreme snowfall and ferocious winds have combined to create prolonged blizzard conditions across much of the Sierra Nevada and parts of the Northern Range, creating blizzard and whiteout conditions that will make travel “impossible,” according to the National Weather Service. The Bureau warned.
Visibility has already dropped to near zero in some areas, meaning you can't see beyond a few feet or at all.
The storm's effects are not felt in the region's major cities, but it has made travel dangerous along major routes. A section of Interstate 80 was closed at the Nevada border on Friday. california highway patrol Spinouts and poor visibility were reported.
Amtrak canceled Friday's departure of a California Zephyr flight from Chicago to San Francisco to pass through the high-altitude city of Truckee, Calif., where a blizzard warning is in effect until Sunday morning.
Brooke Hess Homeier/AP
Signs warning drivers of parking restrictions were put up Friday in Truckee, Calif., as snow fell.
The outages are widening, with more than 43,000 homes and businesses without power in California as of early Saturday morning, according to the tracking website PowerOutage.us. That number is expected to increase rapidly as the winds increase. Wind warnings have been issued for nine western states, affecting approximately 20 million people.
The most extreme conditions are occurring in the highest areas, where snowfall could exceed 3 to 5 inches per hour into Saturday, leading to potential road closures and increased avalanche danger.
Models show an additional 3 feet of snow accumulating in higher elevations by Saturday morning, with blizzard conditions continuing throughout the day. These blizzard conditions will move into eastern Nevada on Saturday morning and a blizzard warning will be in effect from Saturday morning through Saturday evening.
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In addition to heavy snowfall in the mountains, the National Weather Service in Reno announced that significant amounts of snow could fall in lower elevations, with “6 to 14 inches in the Reno-Carson-Minden corridor. ,” the agency said in its forecast. discussion.
In the Las Vegas area, a rare blizzard warning has been issued for Lincoln County, Nevada, where 2 to 5 inches of snow is expected and wind speeds can reach 110 mph, the Las Vegas Weather Bureau said.
Yosemite National Park will be closed until at least noon Sunday, according to the National Park Service.
The National Weather Service in Hanford, California, said a blizzard warning was in effect for the park area until Sunday morning. High-elevation areas of the park could see 5 to 10 feet of snow over the next few days.
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Unlike other storms this winter, snow is well below mountain pass levels in all affected ranges. Areas at elevations of 5,000 feet are expected to receive nearly a foot of snow over the weekend. Even lower elevations, such as Reno, Nevada, could see a few inches. Wind gusts of up to 90 mph will continue in lower elevations, accompanied by snow.
Difficult conditions occur at lower altitudes, increasing the risk of road hazards.
The National Weather Service warned that travel across the Sierra Nevada will remain “very dangerous or impossible” through the weekend.
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A man walks while another shovels snow as it snows in Truckee, California.
One positive aspect of the storm will be its impact on the state's water supply. Snowfall has already reached 80% of the March average in some areas and could rise rapidly.
Recent storms are helping to make a difference. Parts of the Sierra Nevada are trying to overcome a lack of snowpack.
A study conducted Thursday by the California Department of Water Resources showed the snowpack was at 80% of the March average, which represents the amount of snow on the ground before the current storm.
The storm currently hitting the Sierra Nevada will be factored into the April snow survey. April's survey is considered the most critical, as officials use the measurements to predict the state's water resources for the rest of the year. According to the survey, the snowfall amount was 70% of the April average.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, millions of people in the West rely on snow that melts during warmer months for hydroelectric power, irrigation and drinking water.
CNN's Mary Gilbert, Eliana Hebert and Sarah Tonks Stephanie Elam contributed to this report.
