Sierra Nevada mountain passes closed amid winter storm

"Ebbetts Pass on Highway 4, Sonora Pass on Highway 108 and Monitor Pass on Highway 89 will be closed until noon on Thursday, Caltrans District 10 announced on social media Friday, prior to the storms. The closures come as the Sierra is hit with its first big snowfall of the season, the result of a storm system that started making its way over Northern California on Monday."

""We've had snowshowers move over the Sierra starting Monday, and that's really accumulating Tuesday from the early morning into this evening," said Dakari Anderson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Sacramento office. Showers are expected to continue into Tuesday evening until they begin tapering off Wednesday morning, Anderson added. Ebbetts Pass is closed from Lake Alpine to Raymond Meadows, according to Caltrans."

"The National Weather Service's forecast for the western slope of the Sierra Nevada states that rain showers will continue at lower elevations until Wednesday morning, then will likely start again Wednesday night. One to seven inches of snow are expected to accumulate at higher elevations, with snow levels starting at 6,500 feet on Tuesday then lowering to an elevation of 5,500 feet on Wednesday at midnight. Snow levels are expected to rise to 6,000 feet by Wednesday morning, officials said."

Caltrans closed Ebbetts Pass (Highway 4), Sonora Pass (Highway 108) and Monitor Pass (Highway 89) until noon Thursday because of the first major storm and accumulating snow in the Sierra Nevada. Snow showers began Monday and intensified Tuesday with accumulation through Tuesday evening and showers tapering by Wednesday morning. Rain will persist at lower elevations into Wednesday morning and may resume Wednesday night. Higher elevations are forecast to receive one to seven inches of snow, with snow levels shifting from about 6,500 feet Tuesday to near 5,500 feet at midnight Wednesday, then rising to 6,000 feet by Wednesday morning. Mixed rain and snow are complicating official snowfall measurements.

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