by James Murphy
New American
Activity in California’s Sierra Nevada region has been brought to a standstill by a late-season blizzard that has already dropped at least 10 feet of snow in some areas. By the time the snow stops later this week, up to 12 feet of snow may be recorded in one of the largest snow events in many decades.
The mammoth winter storm comes on the very same weekend that The Guardian tells us that the “era of plentiful snow may be over due to climate crisis.”
Approximately 100 miles of Interstate 80 needed to be shut down as the road became impassable over the weekend. The National Weather Service reports “high to extreme avalanche danger” in the central Sierra region, including the Lake Tahoe area. The heaviest snow is occurring in the higher altitudes, with heavy rain inundating the lower altitudes.
“This is great for the Sierra, ski resort, mountain operators,” said Kevin Cooper of California Mountain Resort told ABC7. “In the last 30 years, I have not heard of 120 inches blizzard warning. So we could set some records in the short term.”
The huge snowfall will be a boon to the ski industry once resorts can open again. Most of the area’s resorts had to be shut down because of the winter storm.
