Northern California is on track to have one of the snowiest winters in recent history. The Lake Tahoe region is on track to break the all-time record for snow fall in December. Some regions in the Sierras save been getting up to 4 inches an hour. The UC Berkeley snow lab says this week’s storm could bring the Sierra snow totals 60% - 70% of the area's total annual snowfall. Meteorologists also say the Central Sierra has broken the snowfall record for the month of December with 194 inches so far.
Meanwhile, all major Sierra roadways remain closed as crews try to "dig things out." There is no estimated time for the reopening of snow-covered I-80 between Applegate and the Nevada State Line and Hwy-50 east of Placerville to Meyers. Hwy 88 also remains closed for avalanche control. Roughly 115 inches of snow is covering the highest peaks near the north-side of Lake Tahoe. There is so much snow that even ski resorts are temporarily shutting down due to dense snow and loss of power in some regions.