Heavy Snowfall Forces Mandatory Chain Controls on Donner Summit

As the largest storm of the early-winter season has arrived in the Sierra Nevada, so have the ugly travel conditions forecast for the week. Mandatory chain controls were announced over Donner Summit late-Tuesday as the snow began to fall heavily. The forecast shows the storm will only increase intensity overnight.

The chain controls are being enforced on Interstate 80 from Kingvale to Donner Lake as of 7 pm Tuesday. As the temperatures drop overnight, those controls could move to lower elevations. CalTrans photos show a treacherous road for motorists:

Interestingly enough, photos from Highway 50 on the south side of Lake Tahoe show a much drier scene, although the storm is expected to move into the area this evening.

This storm is expected to bring up to 3 feet of snow to the mountains, from Mount Shasta all the way down to Mammoth. Lassen Volcanic National Park will see the brunt of that snowfall, with the other areas maxing out around 3 feet.

Travel safe, NorCal. Winter is here!