Travel to Tahoe 'highly discouraged'; I-80 remains closed as snow continues to hit Sierra Nevada

[Spartan]

RUCKEE (KRON) - Got plans to hit the Sierra Nevada for this long weekend? 

If you do, you may run into a few obstacles on the way... literally! 

Weather-wise, the area is getting A LOT of snow. 

There's currently a Winter Storm Warning in effect until 4 a.m. Sunday, with an additional 3 to 6 feet of snow in the forecast, according to the National Weather Service Sacramento. 

You can expect major travel delays, chain controls are likely, and there will be significant reductions in visibility. 

Overall, travel is highly discouraged. 

Earlier Friday, all three major routes to Tahoe -- I-80, SR-88, and US-50 -- were shut down due to white-out conditions. 

As of 11:30 a.m., the hard closure remains in effect. Traffic is being turned EB at Colfax, WB at the Nevada state line, SR-20 EB at Nevada City. 

There is no estimated time of re-opening. 

 

Current view of Donner Summit on I-80. If you look at the live traffic camera feed, you can tell the wind is blowing strongly and the snow is heavy, making conditions unsafe for travel. There remains no ETO.

Check https://t.co/2BbQLztxN4 for closures throughout the region. pic.twitter.com/g8xB2nemhP

— Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) February 15, 2019

 

Highway 50 was also closed briefly while officials conducted an avalanche control, which they say will be done throughout the weekend, so expect delays! 

#TrafficAlert: Currently HOLDING traffic on Highway 50 eastbound at Twin Bridges and westbound in Meyers due to avalanche control . pic.twitter.com/xX5NAzFY48

— Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) February 15, 2019

 

If you need further proof as to why the roads are closed, CHP Truckee posted a little explainer video showing you what current conditions look like on Donner Pass... and boy does it look rough up there!If you're still determined on making it to the Sierra, don't forget you can track the storm with KRON4's Interactive Radar or view live traffic maps. 

Safe travels!