Western Snow Will Hit Low Elevations

A major winter storm plowing through the West is not just unleashing substantial snow and strong winds over the mountains, but also some lower elevations.

Late November also brought snow to the West. Photo by Tim King

(SALEM, Ore. / State College, PA) - It should not shock residents of the West that the winter storm will dump up to a fresh foot or locally more of snow on the mountains of the Rockies and the Sierra today into tonight.

Travel will become nearly impossible in the higher terrain as the combination of the snow and strong winds create dangerous blizzard conditions.

The California Department of Transportation reports that Interstate 80 is closed through the Sierra due to the adverse weather.

Officials may be forced to close other roads through the mountains, potentially including a portion of Interstate 40 near Flagstaff.

What may come as a surprise to residents is the substantial snow expected for some lower elevations through tonight.

Moderate to heavy snow accumulations will create treacherous travel in and around Spokane, Wash.; Great Falls, Mont.; and Salt Lake City, Utah. Pendleton, Ore., will measure up to a few inches.

Snow will even make an appearance in Seattle and Portland today. Little, if any of this snow will whiten the ground.

Enough frigid air will plunge southward that snow makes the Grapevine corridor of Interstate 5 in California extremely slippery for motorists late today into early Thursday.

Powerful winds will worsen the situation for travelers through the Grapevine corridor. The winds will greatly reduce visibility by whipping the snow around and threaten to overturn or steer semi-trucks off the interstate.

Strong winds will not be confined to places receiving snow. Winds are already howling in San Francisco and Las Vegas and will strengthen as today progresses from Southern California to West Texas.

These strong winds will do more than create problems for high-profile vehicles. Damage to trees, highway signs and power lines may result. Blowing dust could even become an issue across the southern High Plains.

Airline passengers should also prepare for flight delays. This includes those utilizing the hubs in Los Angeles and San Diego.

Gusty winds will continue to plague the Southwest and southern Plains on Thursday as snow continues to pile up across the Rockies and spreads to Denver.

Another piece of this major winter storm will push a first round of snow across the northern Plains later today into Thursday.

Click HERE for 7-day forecast.

Story by Kristina Pydynowski, Meteorologist for AccuWeather.com.