CONTINUE OUR TEAM COVERAGE NOW WITH A LOOK AT HOW PEOPLE IN THE SIERRA ARE HUNKERING DOWN AND SOME OF THEM ARE DIGGING OUT ALREADY. ABC SEVEN NEWS REPORTER CORNELL BERNARD SPOKE WITH SOME OF THEM, AND CORNELL, WHAT ARE THEY TELLING YOU ABOUT THE CONDITIONS TODAY? >> KARINA? MANY SAY THIS IS A STORM TO REMEMBER. THE SNOW IS STILL PILING UP. THE WIND IS STILL HOWLING. THE BLIZZARD IS LEAVING A LOT OF FOLKS STUCK THIS WEEKEND AND TRYING TO DIG OUT. INTERSTATE 80 IN THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA AND SIERRA NEVADA IS CLOSED FROM COLFAX TO THE NEVADA STATE LINE DUE TO SPINOUTS. INTERSTATE 80 REMAINED CLOSED SATURDAY AFTERNOON OVER DONNER SUMMIT, THE WINTER STORM SLAMMING THE SIERRA WITH RARE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS, CREATING A BONE CHILLING MESS. TRUCKS WERE STRANDED IN HEAVY SNOW, SO THE CHP SAYS EMERGENCY PERSONNEL AND TOW TRUCKS HAD A TOUGH TIME REACHING DRIVERS. >> OH MY GOSH, SUCH AN EPIC STORM. DEFINITELY. ESPECIALLY IN MARCH. >> RENEE ADELMAN FROM MARIN COUNTY IS RIDING OUT THE BLIZZARD IN SOUTH LAKE TAHOE. OUR HOUSE WAS ROCKING LAST NIGHT. >> THERE WERE GALE FORCE WINDS. THE WINDOWS WERE CREAKING. UM, IT IT WAS THE WORST THAT I'VE SEEN IN A FEW YEARS. >> THIS WAS THE VIEW FROM RENEE'S PLACE BEFORE THE BLIZZARD AND AFTER GETTING OUT. WILL BE CHALLENGING. >> THIS IS OUR NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE, BY THE WAY, THAT THE SNOW IS UP TO HALFWAY UP THEIR DOOR. UM, BUT WE BROUGHT GROCERIES WITH US AND SUPPLIES, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE, AND WE FIGURED THAT WE WERE JUST GOING TO STAY HOME TODAY, AND WE'LL SEE WHAT THE SKI CONDITIONS ARE LIKE TOMORROW. RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, WE'RE WORKING TO OPEN THE MOUNTAIN, BUT IT'S THIS STORM IS COMING DOWN HEAVY, FAST AND HARD WITH REALLY HIGH WINDS. SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME FOR US TO GET BACK OPEN SKI RESORTS LIKE PALISADES TAHOE WERE CLOSED SATURDAY DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER AND UNBELIEVABLE WIND GUSTS. >> OVERNIGHT ON TOP SIBERIA RIDGE, WHICH IS THE TOP PART OF OUR MOUNTAIN, WE WERE REACHING WIND UH- UP TO 190MPH, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S HURRICANE FORCE WINDS. >> WE'RE OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE SEEING A LOT OF THIS TODAY. MY NEIGHBORS ARE, UH, DIGGING OUT RETIRED ABC SEVEN NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER RANDY DAVIS LIVES IN TRUCKEE, WHERE THE SNOW IS BEING MEASURED IN FEET. I'M WALKING ON THE DECK IN OVER TWO FEET OF POWDER. LIGHT SNOW, VERY LIGHT SNOW. BUT THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF IT. WE FILLED OUR CARS UP WITH GAS IF WE NOT THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO ANYWHERE. IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A WHILE BEFORE ANYONE GETS OUT OF TOWN. YEAH IT CERTAINLY COULD BE. >> AND WE JUST CHECKED. INTERSTATE 80 REMAINS CLOSED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS OVER DONNER SUMMIT. THE CHP URGING MOTORISTS TO WAIT UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVE BEFORE THEY EVEN TRY TO GET TO TAHOE. COULD BE SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE STREETS AND HIGHWAY OFF RAMPS IN THE TAHOE AREA ARE PLOWED. FOR CARS AND TRUCKS. SO
