'Life-threatening' California mountain blizzard with 10-plus feet of snow and 145-mph winds. (PART-1)

A massive snowfall is threatening to bury roads and neighborhoods in the Sierra Nevada and nearby areas in California and Nevada.

"Snow amounts have increased, if that is even possible," confused Reno National Weather Service forecasters noted. "Snow amounts will approach and even exceed 10 feet along the crest with multiple feet down into Sierra communities."

On Friday, troopers closed Interstate 80 at the California-Nevada border due to whiteout conditions.

Northern and central Sierra, including Lake Tahoe, have Blizzard Warnings until Sunday AM.

"Storms of this magnitude are rare and capable of closing major roads and damaging power infrastructure for extended periods of time," the NWS said. "Make sure you have food, water, and a secondary heat source for more than several days in your home in case of extended power outages."

Yosemite National Park was closed Thursday night ahead of the storm, which was expected to dump several feet of snow. The park would be closed until midday Sunday or longer. Park officials advised tourists to depart immediately.

A large low pressure region in the northern Pacific Ocean floods the West Coast with chilly air and precipitation.

"It's really a perfect setup here," says FOX Weather Winter Storm Specialist Tom Niziol. "World's largest ocean is dumping rain. Its dampness is endless. It hits the Sierras broadside/perpendicular. This provides maximum lift over those mountains. Sort of the perfect storm."

Heart
Heart
Heart
Heart
Heart

Follow for more updates