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Lake Tahoe weather: I-80 reopens; region nears 700-inch mark for snow

Staff report
CHP-Truckee staff work to dig out Monday morning.
Courtesy CHP-Truckee
Ski resort snow totals - 678 inches now at Mt. Rose

As of 7:30 a.m. Monday, Sugar Bowl Resort at Donner Summit had recorded 19 inches of new snow, and 35 inches from the storm at upper mountain, pushing its season total to 670 inches.

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe, meanwhile, is reporting a storm total of 25 to 28 inches up top, bumping its season total up to 678 inches, which continues to lead ski resorts in North America with the most amount of cumulative snowfall this season.

Squaw Valley’s snow totals as of Monday morning are 14 inches overnight, and 41 inches from the storm at upper mountain, bringing its season total to 616 inches. At neighboring Alpine Meadows, those totals are 11 inches, 36 inches and 615 inches, respectively.

Update 3:30 p.m.

As of 3:30 p.m. Monday, I-80 westbound has reopened, according to CHP-Truckee.

“No single drive trucks or trucks pulling doubles,” according to the department’s Facebook post. “Chain Control westbound is Donner Lake Rd to Drum Forebay. Trucks are maximum.”



Meanwhile, at about 2:30 p.m., I-80 eastbound was also reopened to all traffic.

Looking for hints when it comes to chain controls and how to drive safely on Tahoe-Truckee’s highways in the snow. Click here for some great tips from Caltrans.




Update 11:15 a.m.

Alpine Meadows Road is reopened as of about 11 a.m. Monday after an avalanche occurred at about 10 a.m., according to CHP-Truckee.

There were reportedly no injuries or cars buried in the slide.

Meanwhile, as of of 11:15 a.m., Interstate 80 remains closed, according to Caltrans.

Looking for hints when it comes to chain controls and how to drive safely on Tahoe-Truckee’s highways in the snow? Click here for some great tips from Caltrans.


Update 10 a.m. Monday:

Interstate 80 between the Nevada state line at Gold Ranch and Applegate Road near Colfax in Placer County on the California side west of Donner Summit remains fully closed to all traffic as of 10 a.m., according to Caltrans, due to zero visibility.

Motorists “are advised to use an alternate route,” according to the department.

Per the National Weather Service in Reno, while the winter storm warning for the Tahoe-Truckee region expired at 10 a.m. Monday, scattered showers and windy conditions into Monday afternoon are likely, creating travel hazards.

The original story from 7:30 a.m. is below.


TRUCKEE, Calif. — School is closed Monday across the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District — and Incline Village schools are on a two-hour delay — as a winter storm warning remains in effect for the greater Tahoe-Truckee region until 10 a.m.

Interstate 80 between Applegate and the Nevada state line, meanwhile, remained closed last of 7:30 a.m. Monday due to whiteout conditions on the freeway.

The California Highway Patrol made the cal to re-close the freeway at about 5:30 a.m. to all traffic. I-80 was closed on and off throughout the weekend, and much of Sunday, due to the storm that began pounding the region with more snow starting Saturday afternoon.

According to CHP-Truckee, however, Truckee locals are able to commute Monday morning to work in Reno on I-80.

People around Tahoe are once again digging out of a heaping amount of new snow after periods of heavy snowfall and whiteout conditions Sunday, and another 1 to 3 inches of accumulation are possible Monday, according to the Nation Weather Service in Reno.

Winds may range from 15 to 25 mph with gusts as strong as 40 mph. Ridge wind gusts could be as strong as 90 mph. That could lead to whiteout conditions, particularly on mountain passes.

“Snow showers will increase by daybreak and continue through mid-morning,” according to NWS. “Areas of blowing snow are also expected.”

Skies are expected to clear Monday, and by Tuesday, sunny skies should return to the region, with high temperatures approaching the upper-40s by mid-week in Truckee.


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