This photo provided by the California Highway Patrol Truckee Division shows only the peaked roof of a structure visible, buried in snowdrifts in the Donner Pass area of the Sierra Nevada just west of Truckee, Calif., that remained closed Wednesday morning, Feb. 27, 2019. The California Department of Transportation reported that a Sierra maintenance yard above 6,000 feet had received 30 inches of snow on Tuesday. Several mountain and foothill roads were repeatedly closed because of whiteout conditions or to clear trucks and cars that spun out on the slippery pavement. The fierce weather was driven by a river of atmospheric moisture stretching from Hawaii. (California Highway Patrol via AP)
The director of CalTrans is urging people to avoid driving through the Sierra Nevada. Toks Omishakin took to social media yesterday to advise Californians against traveling in the area as it experiences record snowfall. Omishakin said the winter storms have already caused more than 22-million-dollars worth of damage, and are leaving drivers stuck in traffic for hours. CalTrans is asking people to avoid the Sierra and keep the roads clear for essential travel.