Heavy snowfall and gusting winds bringing travel in El Dorado County to a halt
EL DORADO COUNTY - Heavy snow and strong winds are hitting El Dorado County hard.
The dangerous conditions forced dozens of schools to close. Families are staying home in freezing conditions.
Dad John Bickford was at the Pollock Pines Safeway with his three young children.
"The kids enjoy it," Bickford said. "I work and then my wife has been staying at home with them."
The extreme weather led Caltrans to close down the major corridors through the Sierra. Caltrans forced Drivers to exit Highway 50 in Pollock Pines.
Eric Lamby decided to turn the road closure into a recreational activity. He put on his skis and grabbed his poles.
"I'm on my way up to Reno and home and I got stuck, so I thought I'd get a little work out while I wait," Lamby said.
"So this is your exercise," CBS13's Steve Large asked.
"Yeah I busted it out," Lamby said.
Others took the more traditional approach: sitting and waiting.
Besides closed roads and schools, El Dorado County also closed government buildings. A sign on the front door of the Placerville courthouse read "court is closed."
Justice will wait for this storm to pass.
Blizzard conditions and a wide-ranging impact are making business as usual, impossible.
There's no word when Highway 50 will re-open.
Caltrans says it is doing avalanche controls.