CALIFORNIA, USA — Wintry weather is sweeping the Sierra in Northern California, blanket the area in snow and causing a rough commute for travelers.
According to the National Weather Service, the foothills and mountains are expected to see widespread snow. ABC10 meteorologists said the Sierra will see snow levels between 1,000 to 2,000 feet with potential for low snow, especially toward the overnight hours Friday.
The wintry weather is expected to impact travel in the Sierra with chain controls and possible closures. The National Weather Service is advising against mountain travel due to the mountain snow.
Snow falling over Interstate 80 near Colfax Thursday night made it tough for drivers to see on the roads. Some travelers from Sacramento the Bay Area decided to head back west after hours of waiting when road closures put a damper on weekend plans.
Averie Hancock and her father were coming up from San Jose, but they got stuck at the Colfax exit Thursday evening waiting for the interstate to reopen.
"A lot of the last trips haven't been good," said Hancock. "We've been having to go back. Our luck isn’t any better right now."
However, Jeff Cooper and his family chose to wait out the closures.
"We're just going to see. Maybe stick around for an hour and see what it does and might have to go up tomorrow," said Cooper.
Dutch Flat saw whiteout conditions during the afternoon. However, despite the wait, truck driver Darryl Haggard, of Georgia, says safety comes first.
"I can say that they actually looked out for the lives of others due to the fact that there were mishaps down the road, so they enabled themselves to get it cleaned up and kept us from running into it," said Haggard.
Caltrans said Friday is not going to be good time for travel due to weather conditions, but note that the storms on Saturday and Sunday are expected to be weaker.
For updates on road conditions, view below.
Road Conditions
I-80: Closed eastbound at Colfax in Placer County and westbound at the Nevada state line due to no visibility.
Highway 50: Chains required on all vehicles from Placerville to Meyers in El Dorado County.
Maps
For traffic, view the Waze map below for live updates.
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