Blowing snow, sub-zero wind chills -- Tahoe battered by relentless wintry onslaught

TRUCKEE -- A third blast of winter weather ripped into the Lake Tahoe area Tuesday, whipping up sky-high snow drifts, shutting down freeways and ski resorts and triggering sub-zero wind chills.

According to officials at Palisades Tahoe, the resort had received 38 inches of snow by early morning and now had topped 41 feet for the season.

"The snow continues to fall today, with the several more feet of snow expected by Tuesday morning," officials said by email. "Extremely low visibility and avalanche conditions exist. For these reasons, we prioritize the safety of our employees and of our guests. Both Palisades and Alpine will be closed today."

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A blizzard warning remains in effect for the region until 4 a.m. Wednesday.

"Blizzard conditions could produce life threatening situations," forecasters warned. "Avoid unnecessary travel. Road crews and first responders may not be able to rescue you."

Meanwhile, the California Highway Patrol has closed the mountain passes on Highway 50 and I-80. Still, some motorists were trying to find a way around the closures using GPS.

"It has come to our attention there has been an increasing number of drivers using GPS to find their way around the Interstate 80 closures," the Placer County Sheriff posted on social media. "Folks, the closures are put in place for your safety - backroads are not any safer, as evidenced by the multiple spin outs and crashes that have already occurred."

The blizzard conditions and high winds have also heightened the chances of a deadly avalanche occurring. The weather service has issued an avalanche warning for the region, saying "any steep slope could be dangerous" on Tuesday.

While in the short term, the stormy weather over the last week has been and continues to be a source of misery, researchers at UC Sierra Snow Lab say it's what is needed to finally drive away the severe drought conditions that have plagued Northern California for years.

"This is terrific,"  Andrew Schwartz, a researcher the Snow Lab located near Donner Summit, told KPIX. "We want winters like this. And it's reason to celebrate. But we still need the storm window to stay open. We need cooler temperatures otherwise we might just be right back in short and long-term drought next season."