The massive storm that hit the Sierra mountains this week and caused a large avalanche continues to make travel dangerous along Interstate 80 and throughout the Tahoe region, leaving some cars stranded and totally buried in snow along the side of the highway.
As of 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Caltrans said westbound I-80 was open to “vehicle traffic,” but remained closed to trucks. Transit officials estimated that eastbound I-80 could reopen after noon. Light snow resembling powdered sugar — a rare density for the Sierra — made for smooth snow removal Wednesday morning.
A weather station at the summit, at about 7,200 feet, showed a temperature reading of 15 degrees with winds generally gusting to about 10-20 miles per hour, putting wind chill into the low single digits. Another nearby station that is higher at 8,200 feet, showed temperatures in the single digits, with negative wind chill values…