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Western Railroad Discussion > Historic storm headed for the High Sierra starting tomorrow.

All the meteorological ingredients for an impactful and historic snow event are coming together to produce one of the biggest storms in the Sierra Nevada in several years.  A combination of very strong winds and snowfall rates of up to four inches an hour will combine to making travel along I-80 and US 50 impossible for many hours this weekend. Total snowfall accumulations are off the charts with some forecast models showing as much as 10 feet of new snow possible through Sunday at Norden, two miles west of fabled Donner Pass on old US 40, the “Lincoln Highway.”  Avalanche danger all be extreme starting as early as Saturday as light dry powder falls on snow which has tuned to ice during the past 7 days of clear skies in the Sierra. The feet of new snow will begin to slide off the icy snow now on the slopes providing the perfect conditions for huge slides. After a brief break early Monday another storm moves for late Monday and early Tuesday.  Medium range models show an active weather pattern through mid-month. These series of storms guarantee that we will not have a drought going into next year as the States lakes and reservoirs will be at capacity.  Snow levels will be the lowest so far this winter with sticking snow below Colfax on I-80 and Placerville on US 50.  The Siskiyous and the I-5 corridor to the north will see snow down to Lakehead; while to the south, the heaviest snows so far the winter are likely on Cajon and and in the Tehacapis down to three thousand feet. Yosemite Valley could get 4 feet on the Valley floor. The “White Gold” is welcome in the Sierra after many years of drought since the beginning of this Century.  The last time as major avalanche impaced traffic on the Hill, wasthe winter of 2010-11, documented by B renden Compton on his PBS Special  "Avalanche on the Mountian."   You can Google it, or go to Youtube or PBS.  Text and photo by Meteologiost Mike Pechner. (Rotarty image from singal bridge at Norden, Feb. 1975, Copyright, 2016, "All Rights Reserved."

NOTE:  This storm could easily surpass the previous 24 hr. record snowfall of 54" at Soda Springs/Norden established on February 3rd, 1989.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 02/28/24 18:25 by weather.

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