Avalanche Danger Remains High in Several States after Winter Storm Ferus

Having dumped much of its snow earlier in the week, Winter Storm Ferus began to dissipate Wednesday morning, but its impacts remain.

Sections of I-90 in Washington were closed Monday due to snowy conditions, and nearly 3,000 customers were without power in the Portland area at one point because of strong winds. With the ground so saturated from recent storms, officials warned that wind gusts could bring down more trees and make it dangerous to be outside. Winds gusted above 70 mph Monday along the coast of Oregon, a state where at least three people have died in previous storms this month, according to the Associated Press.

(MORE: Check the Forecast for Winter Storm Ferus)

The storm's warm side led to dozens of flight cancelations at San Francisco International Airport on Monday, according to FlightAware.

Here are the latest impacts from this storm.

California

Top snowfall total: 46 inches, Squaw Valley

More than three feet of snow fell and wind gusts reached extreme levels at the higher elevations as Ferus slammed the Golden State.

A wind gust of 129 mph was reported at the Mammoth Mountain summit Monday afternoon, according to a National Weather Service storm report. To the north, nearly four feet of new snow fell in areas near Alpine Meadows by Monday evening, according to local reports.

(MORE: Why We Name Winter Storms)

Travel was also slowed in the higher elevations along Interstate 80 west of Reno as the snow fell Tuesday morning, but all of the major roads remained open. Motorists were required to use chains in Yolo County, the AP added.

In addition to the flight cancelations at San Francisco International Airport Monday morning, Ferus's warm side also created problems on Bay Area roadways. Dozens of small crashes and other hazards were reported from the heavy rainfall Monday morning, the AP said.

The California Department of Transportation said several accidents along Highway 50 in El Dorado County forced officials to hold traffic due to multiple cars spinning out, the AP also reported.

Colorado

Top snowfall total: 39 inches, Molas Pass and Coal Bank Pass

Huge snowfall totals were reported from Ferus in the Rockies, but travel woes extended to the east as well.

Some roads in the Boulder area remained snow-covered Wednesday, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. Travel may be slowed throughout the day as a result.

Elsewhere, road conditions were worse. Avalanche danger led to the closure of Coal Bank and Molas mountain passes on Wednesday morning after several snowbanks collapsed onto the road, Colorado Public Radio reported.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center said avalanches remain very likely in steep terrain, CPR also reported.

Idaho

Top snowfall total: 24 inches, Brundage Ski Area

Up to two feet of new snow was dumped on the Gem State from Ferus, and the storm also brought gusty winds as high as 70 mph to southwestern Idaho.

Wednesday morning, Interstate 84 in southern Idaho was closed from I-86 to the Utah state line, according to the Idaho Department of Transportation. Blowing snow was cited as the reason for the closure.

As snow fell Monday afternoon, DOT officials closed a stretch of State Route 21 due to an avalanche threat. The closure affected about 12 miles, between Grandjean and Banner Summit, the DOT reported.

The road was closed through Tuesday morning but has since reopened. Several other areas in southern Idaho were also at risk for avalanches, according to the Sawtooth Avalanche Center.

Montana

Top snowfall total: 13 inches, northeast of Heron

Winter began with a bang in Montana Monday night, and many drivers got stuck on snow- and ice-covered roads.

Multiple spinouts and stranded vehicles were reported on Interstate 90 near St. Regis, forcing the closure of the freeway Monday night, the Montana DOT told KPAX.com. Strong winds accompanied the storm, creating extra dangers with blowing snowfall and downed trees on some roadways, the report added.

Holiday travel will be made more difficult across the state, but many drivers checked the forecast and left town early on Monday.

Missoula resident Peggy Andrews said the additional snow from Ferus might change her travel plans; she told NBC Montana that she may skip her Christmas trip altogether.

"With the snowpack underneath and the fresh snow, it's like, why take a risk?" she said.

Nevada

Top snowfall total: Up to 36 inches, Heavenly Valley

As much as three feet of new snow was reported from Ferus in Nevada, and as the storm arrived, winds gusted well above 80 mph in some areas. This caused major travel problems, as several semi trucks were blown over on freeways as drivers attempted to navigate the nasty weather conditions.

In Carson City, wind blew a large tree over and into North Carson Street late Monday morning, according to Carson Now. Traffic was affected for hours as a result of the impediment, the report added.

In the higher elevations, several roads were closed at the height of the storms Monday.

Oregon

Top snowfall total: 14 inches, southwest of Bluewood Ski Area

Wintry conditions closed Oregon State Highway 230, near the intersection with Crater Lake Highway, on Monday afternoon due to multiple fallen trees blocking the roadway, the Oregon Department of Transportation said. Crews were on scene assessing the situation and the road remained closed as of about 3 p.m.

ORDOT reported wintry conditions on state route 62 near Crater Lake National Park, and closed the road due to falling trees, heavy snow, and limited visibility.

High winds wreaked havoc in Oregon, with power outages in Portland as well as 1,000 customers who were without power in the Bend area of Oregon Monday morning, according to Pacific Power.

(MORE: See Our Official White Christmas Forecast)

Wind gusts brought down a tree in suburban Portland, which sliced through a house with two young children inside. Initial reports indicated the neither child was injured. There were numerous other reports of wind damage, and most of those reports were in western or northern Oregon.

At the higher elevations, travel was slowed considerably by heavy snow that coated roadways, making them dangerous for motorists.

Driving conditions were also poor along Interstate 84 near the Blue Mountains, where the freeway became snow-covered late Monday morning.

Some areas in southwestern Oregon received nearly three inches of rain from the storm system's warm side, adding to already staggering totals for this month. Areas near Brookings reported 2.95 inches of rain, bringing their December rain total to 29.93 inches, the NWS said.

Utah

Top snowfall total: 10.5 inches, multiple locations

Avalanche danger remained high in the mountains parts of the state, even after the winter storm moved east.

Dozens of weather-related spinouts and collisions were reported Tuesday morning along state roads, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. As a result, officials put restrictions in place due to the danger involved with driving in the wind-driven snow.

Tire chains were required for most drivers along many of the interstates and state highways in northern Utah on Tuesday, the report added. The Utah Avalanche Center also warned that the risk for backcountry avalanches was extremely high in the mountains above Provo and remained high everywhere else.

"There's going to be a lot of snow (Monday night)," Mark Staples, director of the Utah Avalanche Center, told KUTV.com. "Even very small slopes can prove to be deadly."

Although the snow fell hard in Salt Lake City, airport delays were limited, the Salt Lake Tribune also said.

Washington

Top snowfall total: 20 inches, Bluewood Ski Area

Interstate 90 through Snoqualmie Pass was briefly closed again Wednesday morning as officials worked on avalanche control. The closure was not expected to last all day.

Throughout the storm, travel problems were present in the higher elevations. I-90 eastbound was closed Monday afternoon between milepost 34 and milepost 53, near the summit of Snoqualmie Pass, to clear numerous spinouts and collisions. Trees and power lines down on SR 121 closed the road in both directions near Maytown Road.

High winds blew down trees Monday afternoon, temporarily blocking several lanes of both northbound I-5 near Woodland and southbound near Kalama, KATU.com reported.

Conditions were bad late Monday morning in Snoqualmie Pass, and Department of Transportation officials required chains on tires for all vehicles traveling along the snowy roadways in the area. That requirement excluded vehicles with all-wheel drive, the report added.