Whiteout Conditions Force Closure of Interstate 80 Over Sierra Nevada

When the National Weather Service issued a rare Blizzard Warning for Northern California for Monday, road workers in the Sierra Nevada knew they would have a busy day. Now with whiteout conditions prevalent over the Sierra Nevada mountains have forced the closure of Interstate 80 from Applegate to the Nevada border.

This was the second time in 2019 that I-80 saw long closures, with the last one happening on January 8th and causing major delays for travelers. With the storm forecasted to last through the night, the popular stretch of highway may not open again until tomorrow.

Earlier in the day, reports of crashed cars and jackknifed big rigs just east of Truckee forced long delays for commuters. Now, cars are just being turned away. The storm is also bringing high winds, forcing some ski resorts to experience significant closures.

Let’s take a look at what the road looks like from CalTrans webcams:

Be careful driving out there!

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

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