Snow Crushes Homes in Lake Tahoe, with More on the Way

The season’s heavy snowfall has begun crushing homes in the Lake Tahoe region, as a series of blizzards has continued to dump fresh snow, and a cycle of melting and refreezing has caused the snow to stick to rooftops.

The San Francisco Chronicle explained:

The ice dam that ravaged [Spencer] Benlein’s house was a byproduct of a particularly brutal winter that’s set to intensify in the weeks before spring. Sunlight had caused snow to melt during the day and turn to ice during the frigid nights, creating a glacier that got bigger as more snow piled up. Hours before it caved, Benlein hired a contractor to assess the roof and try to remove snow, but the man deemed the job too dangerous.

…

Now, the ruined home is among many casualties in a storm that clogged roads, shut down schools, caused gas stations to run out of fuel and devastated many residents in the Sierra Nevada. Some have shared photos of snow piled up outside their windows, burying nearby cabins and edging up to the tree line. On Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch as well as a storm watch from Thursday afternoon through Sunday morning. Meteorologists warned that runoff could cause water to slosh from rivers throughout the Lake Tahoe basin.

With more rain and snow predicted for Friday and the weekend, residents are worried about their homes:

So I can only see out of a part of my dining room window because we shoveled snow off our roof yesterday. But I can see enough to see a crew shoveling off my neighbor’s roof. We’re all worried about that rain starting Friday and the weight it will add once frozen. #tahoesouth pic.twitter.com/4aQByGKdOr

— Susie Kocher (@UCsierraforest) March 6, 2023

More roof shoveling at a neighbors house in #tahoesouth yesterday. pic.twitter.com/tI3Yd7tj9N

— Susie Kocher (@UCsierraforest) March 8, 2023

Alas, snowing again. #tahoesouth pic.twitter.com/uvm0ptWw8m

— Susie Kocher (@UCsierraforest) March 8, 2023

At Mammoth Mountain further south, the ski resort has experienced its heaviest snowfall in 10 years. The Los Angeles Times reports: “Mammoth Mountain has received 524 inches of snow at Main Lodge this season and 673 inches at the summit.” While that has delighted skiers, who can look forward to many months of return visits as the snow lingers through the spring, many resorts have had to close temporarily during blizzards.

The snow also brings dangers — and deadly conditions. In the mountains of San Bernardino County, 12 were reported dead on Wednesday, as people continue to be found dead in their homes, stranded by snow that blocked access to their driveways and doors. Many still lack food, fuel, medicine, and other necessities.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) left the state for Mexico after belatedly declaring a state of emergency last week. He returned on Sunday without apology or explanation.

Forecasters had predicted a third consecutive dry La Niña winter. But the heavy rain and snow of the 2022-2023 cycle has brought relief — as well as disaster.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.