Tahoe storm first person

Slush was the word for the day on Friday ... snow is the word for the day Saturday. The gunk turned to snow about 4pm Friday. In the heart of South Lake Tahoe about 18 inches fell overnight ... so more than an inch an hour. A lull in the storms lasted a couple hours. The white stuff is coming down again. The winds have are non-existent right now.

Power is on here, but that is not the case in many parts of the state. For instance, my parents in Paradise, near Chico, have been without power since last night. A gas stove is keeping them warm and dad is using the car to charge the cell phone because phone service is also out.

Local plow drivers are doing a good job keeping up with snow removal. It would just be nice if they'd stop leaving the tall berms in front of houses that are clearly occupied.

Area ski resorts are boasting several feet of snow, with Kirkwood saying they have up to 6 feet .. which is possible since they get so much more than the South Shore.

Highway 89 around Emerald Bay is closed ...typical with a storm like this.

More later ...