More snow and rain fell across California on Wednesday, which interfered with travel on mountain trails and increased the risk of burn scars.
The storm has already struck a swath of Northern California that have reported record snow across parts of the Sierra Nevada this week.
Caltrans said snow ploughs are in operation around the clock and urged people to avoid all but essential journeys into the Sierra.
The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab at Donner Pass said it would have received 210 inches of Snowfall that month, making December the last snowing month since 1970.
Governor Gavin Newsom set up the State Operations Center Wednesday to monitor the severe weather.
Some people who visited Lake Tahoe during the Christmas holiday found returning to the waterways slow and terrifying due to winter storms.
The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Laboratory in Donner Pass reported Wednesday it had received 264 inches of snow since October 1, breaking a 51-year-old record of 260 inches of snow between October and December set in 1970.
To the south, Highway 1 from Ragged Point to Elephant Seal Vista Point in San Luis Obispo County was closed because of rockstrikes that followed the latest storms, Caltrans reported.
⚠️ WINTER STORM WARNING ⚠️ now in effect for the mountains from 1 AM Wed – 4 AM Fri. Several FEET of snow will be possible above 6000 FT. This snow will be heavy and wet, so please use extra caution across these areas. Travel will be very difficult to impossible.#CAwx pic.twitter.com/qp8h7gTGuG
— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) December 28, 2021
Along with the rain comes the cold! We had a bunch of record low maximum temperatures today! Temperatures are normally in the 60s this time of year but we had widespread 50s and upper 40s today (away from the mtns). Stay warm out there! #CAwx #SoCal pic.twitter.com/fNZsSA4H5R
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) December 30, 2021
Caltrans working around the clock to keep US-50 & I-80 open but we need YOUR HELP. Do NOT travel unless it is essential. Expecting more heavy snow.❄️When the highways are full of motorists we aren't able to plow the roadways as fast. Avoid traveling TODAY. Don't crowd the plow.👷 pic.twitter.com/3XdZlbWnWs
— Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) December 29, 2021
How cold was it today? It was so cold that Jack Frost changed his name to Jack Froze! Hee-hee! 😁. Actually, it was so cold that we set EIGHT record low high temperatures Tuesday! Brrr. #cawx pic.twitter.com/wGdHmbcMKC
— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) December 29, 2021
The City of South Lake Tahoe just released information advising only essential travel into the #SouthLakeTahoe basin pic.twitter.com/dQgf1zfl7I
— County of El Dorado (@CountyElDorado) December 29, 2021
D3 highway closures include:
• SR-20 CLOSED between Nevada City and the I-80 separation.
• SR-49 CLOSED from Marysville Road to Sattley.
• SR-70 CLOSED from Jarbo Gap to the Greenville Wye.
• SR-89 CLOSED from Harper’s Grade to Emerald Bay. pic.twitter.com/R2dNgli1rb— Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) December 29, 2021
#Highway1 remains closed from south of Ragged Point to the Elephant Seal Vista Point in SLO County. #Caltrans has identified an undermined rock mass on a hill high above the roadway. A plan for repair will follow the expected rainstorms in the coming days. @PIOJimShivers pic.twitter.com/o6IfvYLkiy
— Caltrans District 5 (@CaltransD5) December 29, 2021
#TRAFFICALERT Mulholland Hwy, in the Santa Monica Mountains, is closed between Las Virgenes Rd and Cornell Rd due to heavy mudflow and rockfall on the roadway. Maintenance crews will begin removing rocks, mud and debris once heavy rain has subsided. #LARain pic.twitter.com/Uw7GetmAd6
— LA County Public Works (@LACoPublicWorks) December 30, 2021
I-5 over the Grapevine is closed in both directions due to snow and ice. SR-58 through Tehachapi is open and an alternate route. #TrafficAlert #snow pic.twitter.com/xvj9hBrnuH
— CHP Bakersfield (@BakersfieldChp) December 30, 2021
With 2.72" of rainfall for yesterday at our office in #Oxnard, a #wxrecord for rainfall was set for the calendar day of 12/29. This breaks the old record of 1.58" set on 12/29/1951. #LARain #CAwx pic.twitter.com/Ee5zIfJmO4
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) December 30, 2021
A winter weather driving advisory message from @CaltransHQ Director @ToksOmishakin. Please remember to avoid Sierra travel during this time unless it is essential. Know BEFORE you go and download QuickMap to your smartphone. #Besafe! @CA_Trans_Agency @CAgovernor @Cal_OES @CHP_HQ pic.twitter.com/vH20corDUS
— Caltrans HQ (@CaltransHQ) December 29, 2021
As of 8 AM, the Snow Lab has picked up another 8" of snow in the past 24-hrs. That brings the season total to 264" so far (70% of the entire annual average) and that breaks another record, the 51-yr Oct-Dec snowfall record of 260" set in 1970! https://t.co/9N8nDW0WxT pic.twitter.com/nXiXcBcS2i
— Tahoe Weather (@TahoeWeather) December 29, 2021
LA Union Station is an absolute mess right now. pic.twitter.com/8KFPGrLfM4
— Parker Day (@desertflyer) December 30, 2021
Update: I-5 OPEN in both directions through the Grapevine with CHP escorts. https://t.co/4h5lSAbwK8
— Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) December 30, 2021
