California's Donner Pass: Blizzard Chaos!

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This storm is to the point where even veteran locals with snow worthy vehicles should just stay home.

Excellent video—no overbearing music, no editorializing narrative, just raw footage so we can see for ourselves.

A former, 30 yr. Truckee resident says "They're getting their butts kicked up there this year." Undoubtedly, CalTrans is once again doing an AMAZING job keeping the highways open.

whoever took these shots deserves an award.

I used to live in Truckee. Never saw anything like this; not even close. The dedicated CalTrans, CHP, and truckers deserve the biggest shout-outs. They help keep everybody safe, fed, and supplied.

Imagine the Donner wagon train party surviving this -- those that did survive -- 170 years ago during what was a similar snowpack and harsh winter, in an era with no snowplows and snow blowers.

We are just now getting out of our home for the first time in 6 days. Thankfully provisions were stocked up. Firewood was stored in the garage. The silence was (is) amazing. Really enjoy hearing the train horns on the crews clearing the lines. Watched plenty of movies and enjoyed each other's company tremendously. Thanks to all those for making things accessible again.

This is unbelievable! Thank you for posting this. A huge thanks to the brave men & women working to keep the roads plowed, for those out rescuing the drivers stuck, & the emergency response workers, & truck drivers delivering goods to the stores!

Crazy. We were able to get off Banner Mountain early this morning. The snow line was down to 2000 feet. Thanks to all ‘plow boys’ braving the storm and all the power guys fixing the power. 🙏 Be safe everyone.

I've only driven over Donner Pass in the summer. Think I'll keep it that way.

December 12, 2019. I accepted a load from Lodi, CA to Boise, Idaho. It was my second week by myself. Im a florida guy, never seen snow before. It was raining that whole day. I saw all of the signs about "chain law in effect", thinking that didnt apply to me because it was raining. Got on I-80 going East. At the 5000 ft. Mark, I learned about weather and mountains. Epic winter wonderland. Everyone else was Chaining up their tires but I just went in my sleeper berth and watched videos on how to chain up. I attempted it but only got wet, numb limbs and dirty. This paticular pass is THE MOST DANGEROUS in America during the winter. Make sure you have had practice chaining, make sure you have food and supplies on your truck and make sure you take it SLOW going down the mountain.

Thanks for the pure video with no cheesy music or over-wrought commentary.

Holy cow!!! I hope all are well! Just imagine what the Donnors and others on that wagon train went through! They had no forewarning systems like today! They relied totally on themselves...and their deceased...to survive and what little knowledge they had of such a thing. I spent a month one summer, years ago in a tent, at a 60 acre property, reading at night about the Donnors from a lantern. We were not far from a place called Chilcoot, and Frenchman's lake area. What a wonderful summer it was! Fishing, filming, catching frogs, riding dirtbikes, bathing in a creek, exploring old buildings. I'll never forget it!

I grew up in the Colorado mountains and saw my fair share of snow...but wow, this is insane even by my standards! Just goes to show you how much moisture those Pacific storms pack when they hit the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

I am never going to complain when I have to go out and plow a measly 8 inches off my driveway! Very impressed with the number of building that had obviously kept up with their roofs…and the ones who had not. Can’t help but wonder how wildlife copes with this amount of snow.

This pass is brutal in a blizzard! It blows in wicked fast. My car radiator conked out passing through there in December 2008, and luckily I was able to roll downhill to the only hotel and repair shop outside of Reno. I was there for 2 days. As a kid from Utah I had the pioneer history of Donner Pass in my mind and, wow, that would've been terrifying in a covered wagon!

I've lived in Minnesota for 7 decades so I've seen plenty of snow but...............this is freakin' amazing. That is a LOT of snow!!! Really impressive!!!

OK, people. What part of DONNER Pass don't you understand?

Much love (and thanks) to all of the CHP, Nevada County & Placer County SO's, snow plow drivers, EMTs, Fire, etc. out there! I'm a former Nevada City & Auburn, CA resident (retired in Kimberly, Idaho, out by Twin Falls). I've been watching this entire cycle of storms online and have a parent living in Nevada City. Between videos, KCRA coverage and Chief Meteorologist, Mark Finan from KCRA I've been able to keep tabs. Praying for power to come on, sun to come out and once roads open and all settles down, come back out to Northern California for some phenomenal skiing!