Winter Storm Makes For Slow Going In The Higher Elevations

KINGVALE (CBS13) — With the snow line right at 4,000 feet,  I-80 was slick and slow going all day. CHP and Cal-Trans shut down both I-80 and Highway 50 for a time, Saturday to clear away spin-outs and accidents.

"Oh yes! A lot of people slid around. I think we saw three accidents coming here. You just gotta watch out for the little things you know," said Vadim Shostak, as he stooped to fill up in Kingvale after a day on the slopes at Squaw Valley.

Cal-Trans stopped traffic at designated checkpoints as chain controls were in effect throughout the evening.

"It's kind of a new experience for me, I haven't really put chains on before," said Russell Sanders, securing his chains as he made his way up I-80 to take his daughters sledding.

But there was plenty to do if you did make it up. Several families engaged in snowball fights as they frolicked in the frozen fun.

"He's loving it!," said Mike Lawand about his son, who was poised with a freshly packed snowball in hand. "He hasn't been up to the snow yet this year, he's absolutely out of his mind with it. He plotting something right now," he laughed.

And even further up the mountain, Ski resort operators were smiling too, as the promise of fresh powder called hundreds to the slopes.

"Oh, there were a lot of people!" Shostak said. "A lot of people. A lot of dogs too. It was kind of fun to see them jump around in the snow "

But there's lots of work ahead for Cal-Trans as this winter storm is just the beginning. The bulk of the snow is expected to fall over the next two days and could dump as much as 7 to 10 feet on the Sierra.

But if you're driving, the goal is to get there safely first.