Northern California communities brace for poor road conditions, school closures ahead of a blizzard warning
POLLOCK PINES – A blizzard warning has the California Highway Patrol warning everyone to stay off the roads Monday, citing an extremely dangerous combination of wind and snow which could make driving nearly impossible.
Alex Brown's family thought about spending their Sunday afternoon near Lake Tahoe but thought twice before driving further east on Highway 50.
"I'm thinking, we're probably going to turn it around," he said.
His family drove from San Francisco and stopped in Pollock Pines after road conditions started to deteriorate.
Drivers say the winds were already picking up throughout the day.
"It's pretty close to blizzard conditions higher up the mountain where we were at," said Dennis Murry of Placerville.
The CHP is warning of white-out conditions and downed trees which will bring treacherous driving conditions.
School districts in El Dorado and Amador counties already announced closures Monday as concerns mount over whether getting to class could be impossible.
"Blizzard warnings are not something we see every day," said Frankey Mazariegos of Hayward.
January 2021 is when the Sierra last received a blizzard warning.
The difference between a winter storm warning and a blizzard warning? A blizzard means lower visibility – less than a quarter mile – with winds clocking in at least 35 miles per hour and lasting at least three hours.
Despite the weather warnings, Caltrans told CBS13 it is already in snow operations through Wednesday with 24/7 coverage.
"Being prepared can be the difference between life and death," Murry said.