Powerful Storm in California and Nevada Shuts Interstate and Dumps Snow on Mountains

A lone camper truck moves north bound on the I-80 at the Donner Pass Exit in Truckee, Calif., on March 1, 2024. Andy Barron/AP Photo

RENO, Nev.—A powerful blizzard howled Saturday in the Sierra Nevada as the biggest storm of the season shut down a long stretch of Interstate 80 in California and gusty winds and heavy rain hit lower elevations, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power.

More than 10 feet (3 meters) of snow was expected at higher elevations, National Weather Service meteorologist William Churchill said Saturday, creating a “life-threatening concern” for residents in the region around Lake Tahoe and blocking travel on the key east-west freeway.