A heavy snowstorm is blowing over parts of California and Nevada in the western part of the United States. The storm left tens of thousands of people without power and major roads were closed.
Parts of the Sierra Nevada mountain range were particularly hard hit. Up to 3 meters of snow is expected there. Winds are blowing at a speed of more than 300 kilometers per hour.
The storm caused a power outage. In Nevada, 33,000 homes lost power, and in California, 24,000 connections were lost.
Travel through the affected area is almost impossible. A 121-kilometer major highway in the Sierra Nevada is closed due to heavy snowfall. Emergency services find it difficult to reach stranded motorists on the highway.
The National Weather Service fears life-threatening conditions for people living near Lake Tahoe. The U.S. Weather Service is urging people throughout the affected area to stay indoors as much as possible.
0:48Cars almost disappear in the snow due to a heavy storm in the US
Ski areas and national parks are closed
Many ski areas in the Lake Tahoe area have been closed since Friday. They expect to reopen on Sunday.
The famous Yosemite National Park was also closed on Friday. The nature park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will be closed till Sunday afternoon.
He writes that meteorologists expect the storm to taper off on Monday BBC. Snow could return to the area by the middle of next week.
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