How many feet of snow did California get? Affected parts explored as video of devastating snowstorm sparks concern 

A powerful snowstorm struck Northern California and the Sierra Nevada region on Sunday, March 3, 2024, forcing interstate closures and leaving thousands without power. As per a report by USA Today, some areas were hounded by winds traveling up to 190 mph, a number well over 157 mph that denotes a Category 5 hurricane.

On Saturday, National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist William Churchill released a statement predicting a total of more than 10 ft of snow in high-elevation areas. He additionally expressed concern for those living near Lake Tahoe, calling it a "life-threatening concern."

As reported by Weather.com, the "extreme blizzard" has persisted for three days, and NWS has extended warnings through Monday for areas above 6,500 feet in altitude, while other areas remain under a "winter storm warning."

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Snowstorm conditions shut down more than 100 miles of I-80 on Sunday

The snowstorm significantly reduced visibility, with whiteout conditions in several locations. As per CBS News, an avalanche danger was "high to extreme" in backcountry areas, including Tahoe and the central Sierra.

The blizzard forced authorities to shut down more than 100 miles of I-80 between Truckee near the Nevada border to Colfax near Sacramento, California, on Saturday, due to "spin-outs, high winds, and low visibility." This included the Soda Springs area, which received over 87 inches of snow as of Sunday at 11:00 a.m.

I-80 remained closed on Sunday, with hundreds of travelers trapped in their cars and over 300 vehicles stranded. CalTrans shared an X post informing them they hope to open the interstate sometime Monday.

Additionally, CalTrans closed about 80 miles of U.S. 395 from Bishop in the Owens Valley to Bridgeport, north of Mono Lake, due to "multiple spin-outs and collisions" and "whiteout conditions."

According to poweroutage.us, the snowstorm knocked out power for more than 19,000 customers initially. By Sunday evening, approximately 7,800 homes and businesses remained without power.

Several ski resorts, including Heavenly Mountain Resort and the famous Palisades Tahoe, the largest resort on the North End of Tahoe, closed down on Friday. Notably, Palisades Tahoe was the site of the 1960s Winter Olympics. They stated on their website:

"We are going to do our very best to get chairlifts spinning... Our teams have been playing catchup the past two days, but there is still a lot of work to do. We will be digging out for the foreseeable future."

Other areas that remained closed include the Sugar Bowl Resort and the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in the Sierra.

Furthermore, areas of Nevada, Utah, and western Colorado were also affected by the blizzard conditions. However, William Churchill stated that the storm's effects in these areas were not expected to be as record-breaking.

Thomas Petkanas, a bartender at Alibi Ale Works in Incline Village, Nevada, told CBS News that they had received about 3 ft of snow by Saturday afternoon. He stated:

"It's snowing pretty hard out there, really windy, and power is out to about half the town. We're one of the few spots open today."

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While northern California faced a snowstorm, SoCal faced moderate to heavy rains due to the winter storm. This comes less than a month after a storm hit the region, with the worst-affected areas receiving over 16 inches of rain.

A second, weaker snowstorm is set to bring an additional 1 to 2 feet of snow between Monday and Wednesday, as per the National Weather Service office in Sacramento.