Avalanche control crews in the Sierra set off a slide that buried part of a mountain highway near
Lake Tahoe for hours with a 20-foot wall of snow.
There were no injuries or damage. But U.S. Highway 50 connecting Tahoe and Sacramento was closed near Echo Summit for about four hours before crews dug it out Wednesday afternoon.
Caltrans spokesman Mark Dinger says they needed graders, plows and loaders to clear the snow he described as hard as cement.
Avalanche concerns are up around Tahoe after the latest in a series of wet winter storms dumped another 2 to 3 feet on upper elevations. Squaw Valley USA ski resort reported 36 inches of new snow since Monday at the top of its runs, with more on the way Wednesday night.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
