Snowbound In The Sierra; I-80, Highway 50 Reopen

TRUCKEE (CBS SF) -- After nearly 24 hours of being snowbound. travelers journeying through the Sierra finally were able to use both I-80 and Highway 50 Tuesday to return home from the Lake Tahoe area.

Highway 50 was opened around daybreak while I-80 was reopened at 9 a.m.

However, winter storm and avalanche warnings remained in effect until at least 4 p.m. Tuesday.

"Travel will be dangerous," the National Weather Service warned. "Snowfall rates and winds will create periods of zero visibility. The hazardous conditions will impact commutes through the entire warning period. Increasing winds Wednesday combining with the ne powdery snow could create a ground blizzard."

The stormy weather which began on Saturday has dumped several feet of snow across the Tahoe area. Homewood ski resort reported 38 inches of snow had fallen over a 24-hour period ending on 7 a.m. Tuesday. Over the span of the storm, the resort had received 76 inches.

Kirkwood had gotten 34 inches over the last 24 hours and 88 inches -- more than 7 feet -- over the span of the storm.

Heavily traveled I-80 was shut down between Applegate to the Nevada state line on Monday and continued through early Tuesday.

But there was some good news for Super Bowl weekend visitors to Tahoe -- Highway 50 reopened Tuesday morning with chains being required. The CHP warned that heavy traffic and difficult driving conditions was adding hours to trips on 50 back to the Bay Area.