March 1 (UPI) -- California and Nevada Friday will see heavy snow with life-threatening blizzard conditions in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range.
Forecasters said the safe travel window is over for the region, warning travel will be very dangerous to impossible with white-out conditions as a winter storm blizzard warning is in effect until 10:00 a.m. PST Sunday.
"Sierra travel will be treacherous through the weekend, with a period of life-threatening blizzard conditions Friday afternoon through Saturday morning," a National Weather Service statement said. "Travel over Sierra Passes has already become treacherous and will only deteriorate as we go into the weekend."
A winter storm warning is in effect for parts of northern California and Nevada, with especially heavy snow up to ten feet at elevations above 7,000 feet, according to the NWS.
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The weather service said Lake Tahoe could get up to six feet of snow.
"Blizzard warnings. 5-10 feet of snow. Near zero visibility. Potential power outages. That is what's in store for this weekend. If you live here, please take time to get supplies and be ready. If you're from out of the area, we don't recommend travel to the Lake Tahoe region this weekend. Please heed these warnings and stay safe," South Tahoe Police said on Facebook.
Nevada also has a high winds alert in effect into Saturday morning.
"The avalanche hazard is still expected to rise quickly throughout the day," the Eastern Sierra Nevada Avalanche Center said in a statement Friday. "New and drifting snow will become unstable at all elevations."
With all the snow combined with high winds residents could face power outages. Anyone trying to travel in the hazardous conditions could become stranded with overwhelmed first responders unable to quickly reach them.
