Snow blankets Oakhurst, causes outages, delays, and school closures
Heavy snowfall in the Mountain Area closed schools and part of Yosemite National Park, caused highway delays, and knocked out power for nearly 4,000 people Monday morning.
A mixture of snow and rain got as low as 1,600 feet elevation Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
Pacific Gas & Electric Company reported 11 outages around Oakhurst, Bass Lake, and surrounding areas that impacted more than 3,800 customers Monday morning.
Across the area, roadways quickly became enveloped in powder, leading to a temporary closure of State Route 41 between Coarsegold and Oakhurst as Caltrans snowplows moved through. Caltrans spokesman Cory Burkarth said it was highly likely mountain roadways will continue to be sanded and otherwise treated throughout the winter weather.
“We’ve had crews on the roads around the clock monitoring conditions and treating them as needed,” Burkarth said. “During inclement weather such as snow and ice, the conditions on the roadway can change in a very short period of time, so we’re doing our best to stay on top of it and keep the roadway open and keep the public safe.”
Yosemite High School, Oakhurst Community College Center and all campuses in the Bass Lake Joint Union School district were closed Monday, and many schools suffered two hour delays due to ice Tuesday.
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