Powerful California blizzard shuts roads to Tahoe, Mammoth; 190-mph winds reported

LOS ANGELES — The most powerful California blizzard of the season pounded the Sierra Nevada with gusts of up to 190 mph, while heavy snow on Saturday forced the closure of key roads to the Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Mountain areas.

The main road to Mammoth Mountain ski resort, Highway 395, was shutdown in both directions — to the south, toward Southern California, and to the north, toward Reno, Nevada. The 75-mile stretch was closed from just northwest of Bishop in Inyo County to Bridgeport in Mono County, “due to multiple spinouts and collisions, as well as whiteout conditions,” the California Department of Transportation said.

At 6 a.m. Saturday, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area reported it had received almost 2 feet of snow in some places. Two hours later, the resort said it was closing down for the day because of “extremely strong winds and blizzard conditions.”