Blizzard warning

Winter storm: up to 3 meters of snow in California

A severe winter storm is currently bringing snowfall to California.(Bild: AP)

A severe winter storm has brought heavy snowfall to the US state of California. The weather service issued a blizzard warning for mountainous communities in the Sierra Nevada, where up to three meters of snow was expected in some places. People should be prepared for life-threatening conditions, it said on Friday evening (local time). "Travel should be limited to emergencies only."

Blizzards are the name given in the USA to severe snowstorms with sharp drops in temperature.

In the Palisades Tahoe winter sports area, where the 1960 Winter Olympics were held, wind gusts of up to 230 kilometers per hour were measured, according to media reports. Several ski resorts had to close, partly due to the high risk of avalanches.

Freeways closed
In addition, Interstate 80, one of the country's most important freeways, was closed due to snow and icy conditions over a total length of around 160 kilometers.

One of the country's most important highways had to be closed.(Bild: APA/Getty Images via AFP/GETTY IMAGES/MARIO TAMA)

A speed limit was recommended for all vehicles.(Bild: Bay Area News Group)

The weather service and highway police warned of so-called whiteout conditions, in which drivers could lose their bearings due to extremely limited visibility.

(Bild: AP)

Several schools were already closed on Friday. The storm also led to power outages. Around 40,000 households in the region were without electricity, according to the website Poweroutage.us. In view of the storm, Yosemite National Park, which is popular with tourists, also closed to visitors until further notice. The winter storm could develop into one of the most severe since the 1970s, it said.