Blizzard Conditions Bring Chains Controls, Dangerous Driving Conditions to NorCal Mountains

The big storm that will hopefully jumpstart winter has arrived in Northern California. The snow is beginning to fall heavily on the mountains, with up to 100 inches predicted between Saturday and Tuesday. While this is great news for the ongoing water issues in California, it will certainly create dangerous driving conditions, as well as chain controls and complete road closures.

As of 8 am on Sunday morning, chain controls are currently active along Highway 80 and U.S. Route 50 near Tahoe, as well as Highway 89 through Mount Shasta and the Lassen area. Expect those to continue though Tuesday. All roads are currently open, but don’t expect that to continue through the storm. In fact, there was already a short closure on Highway 80 overnight due to a big rig spinout.

If you need confirmation of the chain controls, here’s a current map from CalTrans:

Let’s take a look at the webcams throughout NorCal to see just how snowy the roads are at the beginning of the storm:

Highway 80 – Donner Summit

U.S. 50

Highway 89 – Lassen

Highway 89 – Mount Shasta

Highway 299 – Weaverville

This is great to see but should carry some caution to any would-be snow seekers in the region. Remember to expect significant travel delays on these roadways and practice extreme caution when driving in these high-elevation areas. For more tips on winter driving, check out these winter driving tips from CalTrans.