Roadways in and out of Tahoe have reopened for essential travel only as a historic snowstorm continues to pound the Sierra.
I-80 in the Tahoe area - which had been closed since Monday due to hazardous conditions caused by record-setting snowfall over the weekend - reopened in the eastbound direction on Tuesday morning, but only for passenger vehicles and essential personnel. The westbound direction opened under the same restrictions at 9 p.m.
Meanwhile, Highway 50 continued to experience massive congestion on Wednesday. With I-80 closed for much of Tuesday, drivers redirected themselves to highway 50, creating severe traffic jams and causing the roadway to reach capacity.
Conditions on Wednesday remained clogged. Caltrans tweeted to expect long delays in the westbound direction, especially for drivers moving out of South Lake Tahoe.
The agency emphasized that only essential travelers should use I-80, highway 50 or "other mountain highways." Caltrans wants to limit the drivers on the road as much as possible to give crews time and space to clear the massive amounts of snow from the roads.
Anyone that's able to is advised to avoid traveling on Wednesday.
"I know a lot of people in the Bay Area, their scheduled trip that they love to make is to come up this way past Sacramento to the Tahoe Area or the Sierra," Director of Caltrans, Toks Omishakin, told KCBS Radio. "We're saying if you don't have to make that trip, avoid it."
Officials recommended those that do need to use the roads must utilize chains, except for four-wheel drive vehicles, should drive slowly and maintain enough space between themselves and the vehicle in front of them.
"If you have to (make the trip), make sure you have chains ready to go, food, a full tank of gas, blankets, and even cash." Omishakin said.
According to the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, the region received eight inches of snow between 8 a.m. on Tuesday to 8 a.m. on Wednesday, bringing its December total to 210 inches and season total to 264 inches, which is 258% of its annual average snowpack through this date. The mark also breaks the 51 year Oct. to Dec. snowfall record of 260 feet set in 1970.
The storm is expected to continue on Wednesday, with Tahoe Weather forecasting possibly another two to five inches of snow.
"The expectation is that by this weekend the snowfall will stop, but between now and then we’re expecting continued precipitation, either heavy rainfall or snow between now and Sunday," Omishakin explained. "We’re not going to get a break anytime soon in the next few days."
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