Heavy Snow Downs Power Lines on Downieville’s Main Street, Causes Power Outages, and Closes Gold Lake Road for Season

A surprisingly potent early season storm this week brought welcome relief to parched Sierra County and the Sierra foothills and mountains—at the same time causing road delays and closures and a dramatic downed power-line “light show” in Downieville.

With leaves still on the trees, the heavy wet snow brought down branches onto power lines Tuesday evening on Downieville’s Main Street just before Hansen Bridge near Pearl Street.

“It was a pretty spectacular light show that lit up the canyon for 30 seconds until the power tripped off,” Sierra County Sheriff Mike Fisher told The Mountain Messenger. Sheriff Fisher said his deputies blocked off the road until PG&E crews arrived a little before midnight, assured the power lines were deactivated, and cut them out of the road.

The parking lot in Downieville adjacent to the post office was also cordoned off due to branches snapping from heavy snow creating a hazard for people and vehicles alike.

During the storm, downed power lines and other weather-related incidents caused electrical outages throughout the region.

Nearly 1,700 PG&E customers in Sierra County and adjacent areas lost power most on Tuesday evening, with Downieville and Sierra City especially impacted. Electricity was restored to some customers shortly before 1 a.m. Wednesday and to others by mid-day.

PG&E spokesperson Paul Moreno told The Messenger that as of Wednesday afternoon, 424 customers were still without power from five separate power outages. (Included in that number are 164 customers in Washington, in Nevada County, served by the same circuit out of the Alleghany Substation). The utility expected to restore power to 77 customers in Downieville by 4 p.m. Wednesday when a broken pole is replaced.

Conditions early this week were challenging for drivers particularly at the higher elevations, with crews working round-the-clock to keep area roads open.

Sierra County Director of Transportation and Planning Tim Beals praised the County Road Department workers who toil “all day and night” to keep area roads plowed and passable. “They’re really good at what they do. They stop, get out and help people. And while they don’t have the time or resources to clear everyone’s driveway they’re considerate where they push the snow.”

Beals singled out the county road superintendents for the west side, Kevin Marshall, and the east side, Rob Moore, and their respective crews. “They work together, share equipment when needed, and have each other’s back.”

One high-mountain road no longer able to be kept open is Gold Lake Road that spans the Lakes Basin Recreation Area. On Monday, November 7, Sierra County and Plumas County coordinated to close Gold Lake Road for the season, said Sheriff Fisher. It is now officially closed to car traffic from Bassetts to Graeagle until next spring.

Caltrans District Three’s office in Marysville oversees operations in 11 counties, including Sierra. Spokesperson John O’Connell told The Mountain Messenger that chain controls had been in effect throughout the storm on highways throughout the region including Highways 80 and 50 into Tahoe, as well as local Sierra counties such as Highways 49 and 89. A big rig spinout on 50 three miles east of Kyburz led to one-way controls, which were lifted when the truck was cleared Wednesday morning, he said.

O’Connell expressed hope that “this is the start of a decent normal winter”—although he noted that the National Weather Service has predicted that this year’s snow season in the Northern Sierra has a 50-50 chance of a wet or dry winter.

The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab at Donner Pass has tracked snowpack measurements for the last seven decades. As of Wednesday, this week’s storm total at the lab was 34.3 inches of snow. At this early date, the lab reported that precipitation currently stands at 115% of normal for the Oct. 1-Sept. 30 water year.