Snowstorm Causes Road Closures And Accidents Up And Down West Coast

A massive snowstorm hit Northern California and Nevada over the Christmas weekend, causing road closures and car accidents, multiple sources reported.

Three people were injured during a 20-car accident near Reno, Nevada, on Interstate 395, authorities said, according to The Wall Street Journal. Also, a 70-mile stretch of Interstate 80 was closed until Monday, limiting travel from Colfax, California, through the Lake Tahoe area.

“Expect major travel delays on all roads,” the National Weather Service office in Reno said Sunday, according to the WSJ. “Today is the type of day to just stay home if you can. More snow is on the way too!”

The weather service issued a winter storm warning for the Lake Tahoe area until 1 a.m. Tuesday citing “widespread whiteout conditions” and over 45 mph wind gusts, according to the WSJ.

The storm stretched as far as Seattle, delivering over a foot of snow near Port Angeles in Washington, the WSJ reported. An additional 2.5 inches are expected Monday morning in Portland, Oregon.

Around 3 feet of snow fell in the Sierra Nevada Mountains area in California and two more feet are expected to fall by the end of Monday, CNBC reported.

Mount Baldy in Los Angeles County saw around 10 inches of snow with Mount Wilson recording 2 inches, according to CNBC.