Winter Storm Brings Area Road Controls, Flooding in California

An avalanche has prompted Amtrak officials to suspend passenger rail service between Sacramento and Reno after more than more than 4 feet (1.2 meters) of snow fell in the Sierra Nevada. 

Amtrak spokeswoman Kimberly Woods said Wednesday that the service on the California Zephyr rail line has been suspended until weather conditions improve from a series of storm that has dumped rain in Northern California and snow in the mountains that divide the state from Nevada. The storm has also caused heavy snow in Washington state and Montana.

The avalanche sent snow onto the tracks owned by Union Pacific at 9:15 a.m. Tuesday at Donner Pass about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Truckee, California.

Union Pacific spokesman Tim McMahan says crews are still working to clear the tracks. He says there's no estimate on when they will reopen. 

Amtrak says the train stopped when crews saw the snow.

They said Amtrak is busing people to the closest city from where they're stopped and accommodating them for alternate reservations.

They said there were no injuries.

Amtrak said the train did not hit the snow.

They said the snow has made the tracks impassible until March 1.

CHP says one plow train detailed and stuck up at Soda Springs. Rotary plows on the railroad will start within the next day.

As of right now: 

  • I-80 is closed at Nevada State line westbound
  • Mt. Rose Highway/431 is closed from Douglas Fir Drive to Incline Village
  • CA-88 near Carson Pass is closed 

For the road conditions, call 511 or go to nvroads.com. 

Caltrans says eastbound I-80 is now open to passenger vehicles only and chain controls are still required.

For more information, visit this link here: http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/

KTVN Meteorologist Jeff Martinez says winds will not be as strong as the past few days, but we will still see 40-50 mph gusts through Wednesday evening. That's when the final wave of our storm moves in with more snow for the Sierra through Thursday morning.

A break in the weather by Thursday afternoon through Friday, but another winter storm will be with us for the weekend.  

Meanwhile, an official estimates that only half of about 4,000 people told to evacuate towns north of San Francisco that are flooded or threatened with floods actually left their homes.

Sonoma County Sheriff spokesman Sgt. Spencer Crum said deputies went door to door before the Russian River broke its banks late Tuesday to advise people to leave.

As of Wednesday, the communities of Guerneville and Monte Rio were surrounded by the rising water and roads leading into both of them were swamped.

Crum said Wednesday that those who decided to stay stocked up on food and drinking water.

The only way to reach the two communities now is by boat.

Crum says sheriff's deputies in a boating team are patrolling the flooded areas to prevent looting.

He says four National Guard high-water rescue vehicles are ready to be used if needed.

Deputies have also helped people get out of cars stuck in floodwaters.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

KTVN Channel 2 News