A wintry storm arriving three weeks into spring is expected to deliver widespread rain and snow to parts of California and Nevada.
The storm, expected to bring most of its moisture early Friday, brought howling winds to the top of the Sierra Nevada on Thursday as it headed in from the Pacific Ocean.
Gusts up to 115 mph ripped across a few ridges in the Lake Tahoe area, while blasts up to 55 mph hit the Tahoe Basin and some areas north and south, the National Weather Service said.
Up to 4 feet of snow was possible along the Sierra Crest and at Mammoth Mountain, the popular ski resort where more than 45 feet of snow has been recorded this season at the main lodge.
Forecasters warned of significant travel disruptions Friday in the Sierra passes, around the town of Mammoth Lakes and along U.S. 395.
Forecasters upgraded a winter storm watch to a warning for heavy, wet snow, effective from midnight Thursday to 5 a.m. Saturday along the eastern Sierra, west of U.S. 395.