Mother Nature dumped as much as five feet of fresh powder at one peak in the Sierra Nevada during a 24-hour period over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
The 60-inch deluge of snow at Castle Peak near Donner Pass came during the same time period when 49 inches fell at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows ski resort, 39 inches dropped in Kingvale along Interstate 80 and 37 inches piled up at Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort located near South Lake Tahoe, the weather service reported.
The latest round of snow will certainly bolster California's standing when it comes to drought conditions. As of Tuesday, just over 34 percent of the state was reported to be free of any drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Three months ago, not a single spot in the state was free of any sort of drought.
While the snowfall comes as a treat to those watching the Golden State's water supply and to skiers and snowboarders shredding the fresh powder, it has made a mess for drivers trying to navigate the mountain range as the weekend comes to a close.
As of early Sunday afternoon, Interstate 80 was closed from Colfax in Placer County to the Nevada state line, according to Caltrans. Highway 50 was open, but chain controls were in effect.
Snow also made its way to the Bay Area early Sunday, but snowfall levels were nowhere close to those recorded in the Sierra Nevada, as most locations received a light dusting to a few inches. The weather service later reported that Mt. Hamilton in the South Bay received 5.5 inches of fresh snow.
