Blizzard conditions to bring 10 ft. of snow, 'disruptions to daily life' to California's Sierra Nevada

A strong winter storm that is anticipated to produce a huge quantity of snow and paralyze travel over the Sierra Nevada is headed to Northern and Central California in the last days of February and first days of March.

The storm is anticipated to strike the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday and Thursday before reaching California in the days after, bringing the heaviest snowfall up until now this season to the Golden State.

The National Weather Service released a blizzard caution for the Sierra Nevada and nearby foothills from 4 a.m. on Thursday through 10 a.m. on Sunday, with the blizzard conditions most likely to be from Friday into Saturday early morning.

The blizzard caution is in result in the Sierra Nevada east of Fresno all the way north to the Oregon border.

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For weather conditions to be considered a blizzard, there need to be sustained or frequent wind gusts of 35 miles per hour or higher and visibility less than 1/4 of a mile throughout a duration of a minimum of 3 hours, according to the NWS and FOX40's Chief Meteorologist Adam Epstein.

Throughout the storm, there could be 5-10 ft. of snow and wind gusts as much as 65 miles per hour in places above 5,000 ft. of elevation, such as in the higher Lake Tahoe location.

Places at around 3,000 ft. of elevation could receive 1-4 ft. of snow, and places at around 2,000 ft. of elevation might also get small build-ups of snow, consisting of in the Bay Area.

The NWS forecasts one to 2 inches of snow along Interstate 5 over Tejon Pass and along Highway 58 east of Bakersfield on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Live Weather & & Maps - Live Weather Radar - Weather News - Weather Email Alerts - Live Traffic Map ‘ Extremely unsafe or impossible travel' over Sierra The NWS stated, in part, on X, "AVOID TRAVEL DURING THIS TIME!" adding that near no visibility might occur throughout the storm.

Weather condition models show that Donner Summit, where Interstate 80 goes through, might get more than 8 ft. of snow, Epstein said.

Traffic over Interstate 80 and Highway 50, which cross the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe, is expected to be nearly difficult throughout the whiteout conditions.

The storm's cold air might also bring temperatures 10-20 ° F below typical for this time of year.

Weather condition officials are encouraging homeowners in the Sierra Nevada and the foothills to get ready for possible power failures and collect emergency situation materials ahead of the storm.

Motorists are discouraged from trying to cross the mountain area, however are encouraged to bring additional food, water and warm clothes if they do attempt it.

By Sunday, the NWS expects the storm to start alleviating up, with only moderate rain and snow in the mountains.