Spring Thunderstorms Turn To Treacherous Snowy Scenes In Sierra

SODA SPRINGS (CBS13) —  As a series of storms hit Northern California, the Sierra continues to be pounded with snow.

Neighborhoods in Soda Springs' Serene Lakes community are buried in snow.

And while locals love the fresh powder for some good skiing, some say it's been a rough winter.

"We had four feet of snow in the driveway and couldn't get out...we had to dig out," said Kathy Gerould.

Kathy and her husband Stuart hosted family at their home Tuesday night, and said with more storms on the way, they could use some relief.

"We spent one day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. shoveling our driveway just to get our car back in the driveway so they could plow the street so we can get out. That was a very frustrating day," said Gerould.

Spring time snow poses its own challenges for motorists who may be driving up in sunny conditions but then things can shift rapidly.

"It will go from a clear warm and sunny to cold, dark and slick instantly, " said Caltrans Superintendent Dave Wood.

Caltrans says with the thunderstorms we've been seeing, it sets things up for treacherous road conditions.

"What we've been seeing is it'll come in, it'll snow, it'll build up on the shoulders, it'll melt in the roadway, and then for a split second we'll get a cell and it just turns white everywhere. It goes from sunny spring day to the ice age in about 30 seconds, and most drivers can't adjust that quickly," said Wood.

As we dive into spring, drivers are being urged to slow down, to be prepared and keep your eyes on the road.

Caltrans expects light snow showers through Wednesday. A colder storm arrives on Saturday through Sunday with snow elevations forecast to be as low as 4,000-5,000 feet.