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Whoa, snow!

California, Nevada whacked by multiday blizzard leaving over 10 feet

A man in a blue jacket and black pants skiing on a snow-covered sidewalk.
A customer skis down a sidewalk in Reno, NV, this week.

A blizzard dropped more than 10 feet of snow in Nevada and central and northern California last weekend, prompting power outages and highway closures.

Higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada were hardest hit, with wind gusts nearing 200 mph reported at the Palisades Tahoe ski resort.

“Yeah, that was a biggie,” said Jerry DePaoli, postmaster in Reno, NV, which was outside the main area hit but was affected nonetheless.

“We did get quite a bit down here in the valley,” he said, noting 8 to 10 inches fell in the lowest areas while higher elevations saw accumulations of 2 to 3 feet.

Postal delivery vehicles sit under heavy snow
USPS delivery vehicles sit under heavy snow at the Truckee, CA, Post Office this week.

A fire at the Leggett, CA, Post Office causing extensive damage was reportedly sparked when storm-associated lightning struck a nearby tree. Customers were advised to pick up their mail at the Post Office in nearby Garberville until further notice.

Another storm predicted to dump 1 to 2 feet of snow is forecast for California north of the Sierras and into Oregon later this week.

The Postal Service will continue to deliver where it is safe to do so.

The usps.com Service Alerts and Newsroom pages have the latest updates on service disruptions and operational adjustments.