Northern California spring snow storm slows Sierra traffic, chain controls on and off

NYACK — Another spring storm marched through Northern California Friday evening and was the start of unsettled weather for the Easter holiday weekend.

The valley saw widespread rain but not anything significant, while the Sierra Nevada received more snow. Some areas of the valley also experienced gusty winds.

The weather in the Sierra created slick road conditions. Traffic on Interstate 80 was held for a bit earlier in the day Friday because of too many spin-outs, and another closure happened on the eastbound side during the evening at Colfax.

Chain controls have been on and off all day and were active again on Highway 50 heading into the late night. Drivers on I-80 must have tire chains on between Baxter and Truckee on the eastbound side and between the Donner Lake interchange and the Highway 20 junction on the westbound side.

For Highway 50, chains are required for all drivers between Twin Bridges and Meyers. You can check for up-to-date road conditions here.

Some areas of the Sierra and Lake Tahoe basin could receive up to 30 inches of snow through Easter Sunday.

Some drivers caught in standstill early Friday

Steve Wolf and his wife were on the road to Gardnerville, just over the border into Nevada, for the holiday weekend and expected some slowdowns.

"We left earlier than usual because we thought this would happen, and sure as shooting, it did," Wolf said.

Matt Alburquerque was also one of those drivers caught in a near-standstill along I-80 earlier in the day.

"It was bumper to bumper," he said.

Albuquerque was traveling from Santa Rosa to Nevada.

"A few buddies of mine said that chain control was going to be open, but as soon as the traffic cleared, it just broke free," he said.

As traffic finally let up, Wolf and his wife got back on the road. His way to pass the time in traffic: "I always have a book in the car. My wife is driving but we talk and sometimes we get a radio."

"You can't text, of course, so vibe out. Listen to some music. You're not going anywhere," Albuquerque said.