National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists are warning drivers to slow down and exercise caution in four states as snow, strong winds and reduced visibility are expected to create dangerous travel conditions in mountainous areas through Monday evening.
Urgent winter weather advisories have been issued for parts of California, Nevada, Washington, and Oregon. Affected areas include the Greater Lake Tahoe region in California and Nevada, the West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada, and parts of the Cascades in Washington and Oregon, with snow and hazardous conditions expected in these mountainous regions.
Authorities are urging motorists to use caution, especially on major passes, where snow accumulation could range from a few inches to more than a foot. The warnings highlight the potential for slippery roads, low visibility, and travel delays.
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In the Greater Lake Tahoe area, a winter weather advisory has been issued for elevations above 6,500 feet from noon Monday until 10 p.m. PST. Snow accumulation of 2 to 6 inches is expected, with gusty winds reaching up to 45 mph. Drivers should anticipate slippery road conditions across area passes, including Donner, Echo, and Carson, with visibility dropping to less than half a mile at times.
In Washington’s North Cascades, including Washington Pass, a winter weather advisory will be in effect from 6 p.m. Sunday through 1 p.m. Tuesday for elevations above 4,000 feet.
Snow accumulations of between 4 and 16 inches are expected, with gusty winds of up to 35 mph. Travelers on SR 20 and Washington Pass should prepare for difficult travel conditions. Similarly, the Okanogan County area in Washington will see up to 14 inches of snow above 4,000 feet, with the advisory running from 6 p.m. Sunday to 1 p.m. Tuesday.
In southern Oregon, the Siskiyou Mountains and Southern Oregon Cascades are also bracing for heavy snow, with totals in areas above 5,000 feet expected to range between 8 and 16 inches. The advisory, running from 4 a.m. Monday to 10 a.m. Tuesday, warns of difficult travel conditions, particularly during the Monday morning and evening commutes.
Meanwhile, nearly 40,000 customers were without power in Colorado early Saturday following a winter storm that swept through the state.
Denver County was the worst hit, with approximately 25,000 customers affected as of Saturday, according to PowerOutage.us, an online service that tracks disruptions across the country.
Counties surrounding Denver, such as Adams, Jefferson, and Arapahoe, have 4,485, 4,400, and 3,630 outages recorded, respectively.
Storm warnings were also issued this week for several other states, including Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. In Colorado’s mountain regions, up to 24 inches of snow were expected, while cities like Matheson, Agate, Hugo, and Limon could receive up to 20 inches of snow.