Winter Weather — West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada, California

2025-05-12 · West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada, California

Event narrative

A weather system brought a brief period of moderate snow showers that led to multiple spinouts and a jackknifed big rig. These accidents resulted in the closure of I-80 westbound at Truckee. Traffic was initially stopped at 4:46 PM PDT but was then closed from 4:56 PM PDT through 7:54 PM PDT. Chain restrictions were in effect for trucks for most of the day. UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab measured 5.9 inches of snow in 24 hours at 6894 feet.

Wider weather episode

On May 12th, a weather system brought a brief period of moderate snow showers that led to multiple spinouts and a jackknifed big rig. These accidents resulted in the closure of I-80 westbound at Truckee. Traffic was initially stopped at 4:46 PM PDT but was then closed from 4:56 PM PDT through 7:54 PM PDT. Chain restrictions were in effect for trucks for most of the day.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1249032. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.