WATCH: Blizzard strands trucks in snowdrifts at Donner Pass
A four-day snowstorm buried Interstate 80 in California, and drone footage captured on Saturday showed what it was like for the motorists who were stuck in the life-threatening situation.
Trucks and other vehicles in a long line were trapped along I-80 in Donner Pass, California, as a blizzard dumped snow on the region on March 2.
The Sierra Nevada was pummeled by more than 100 inches of snow over the span of four days, shutting down travel. Motorists who attempted to travel through California's Donner Pass ended up stuck on the mountain as heavy snow clogged the highway, and many were forced to sleep in their vehicles amid the life-threatening conditions.
Drone video captured on Saturday showed dozens of tractor-trailers and other vehicles tightly packed together and surrounded by feet of snow on Interstate 80 at the famous Donner Pass, which climbs to an elevation of over 7,000 feet in the heart of the Sierra Nevada. The interstate looked more like a parking lot than a major thoroughfare over the weekend.
Drone footage of vehicles stuck in snow near Donner Pass, California, on March 2, 2024. (Chris Weather Chasing via Storyful)
The highway reopened Monday after the wintry weather finally ended and road crews were able to clear the interstate of the snow, including towering drifts that formed amid windy conditions.
For more details about the blizzard that buried the California mountains, read AccuWeather's full snowstorm recap.
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