Thousands without power after punishing wind storm hits Bay Area; snow starts pummeling Sierra

"Thousands of people awoke without power Thursday morning after a powerful storm slammed into the Bay Area, toppling trees and further complicating holiday travel across the region. The North Bay, Peninsula and the South Bay appeared to bear the brunt of the latest storm front, which packed wind gusts topping out at 108 mph in Marin County and left pockets of San Jose, Sunnyvale and Half Moon Bay without power."

"To the east, Caltrans instituted chain controls along Interstate 80 over Donner Pass as the first of several feet of snow began to drop over the Sierra and its parched Lake Tahoe-area ski resorts. Wind gusts and rain were expected to ease throughout the day Wednesday across the Bay Area, offering a slight reprieve ahead of another potent low front that was expected to hit the region on Wednesday night, when more power outages and wind damage were possible."

"Holiday skiers not already in Lake Tahoe for the holiday week were unlikely to reach their destinations beginning Wednesday, as the season's first major snowstorm started bearing down on the Sierra. Most of the Lake Tahoe region above 6,000 feet was forecast to receive 4 to 8 feet of snow from Wednesday morning through late Friday providing much-need snowpack, but making for dangerous travel conditions, according to the National Weather Service."

A powerful storm slammed into the Bay Area, toppling trees and leaving thousands without power across the North Bay, Peninsula and South Bay. Wind gusts reached 108 mph in Marin County and outages affected pockets of San Jose, Sunnyvale and Half Moon Bay, with coastal stretches in Santa Cruz and Sonoma counties also losing power. Caltrans imposed chain controls on Interstate 80 over Donner Pass as several feet of snow began falling over the Sierra and Lake Tahoe resorts. Forecasts called for 4 to 8 feet above 6,000 feet, creating dangerous travel and potential additional outages as another low front approached. Officials warned travelers to check road conditions, prepare for lengthy delays and road closures, and pack emergency supplies.

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