South Lake Tahoe Storm Rages On

One day a storm like this will turn South Lake Tahoe into the ravaged set of a natural disaster. Imagine so much snow houses crumbling under the weight of it; Avalanches rumbling over entire towns; And people wading through deep white powder, ransacking closed grocery stores to survive like the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. If it keeps snowing like this, that could be next week.

Our little world up here in the Sierras has been shaken like a snow globe. But this globe is filled with too much white stuff and it's burying the town. After more than five feet in the Tahoe basin bottom, I wonder if it will ever stop. Snow has clogged the streets, buried the tallest of yard gnomes, and ruined countless hairdos. Nearly all outside signs of sophistication are hidden under the white blanket and things are getting primitive out there.

TAHOE STORM PHOTO GALLERY

This storm has isolated the Basin. Snowplow drivers are nearly ready to throw in the towel. South Lake Tahoe has become it's own entity. When the storm first hit, a civil war broke out between clans. Skiers battled snowboarders; snowmobile riders raced around shooting machine guns in every direction. It was like the scene out of that old shred flick 1999 after the asteroid hits. A lot of blood, guts, guns, snow and madness.

After a desperate siege, snowboarders seized control of the town. In tizzies of jubilation, riders hooked tow-ropes to trucks, gunned the engines, and went to town slashing snowplow banks. The powder was flying like sand in a Sahara sandstorm. Innocent citizens had run for cover or be smothered under white waves. It was a terrifying celebration.

The stampede to the slopes could have trampled Africa. With cars and clothes of every color, it was a rainbow parade in every direction. Yetis and abominable snowmen flocked to the area, munching on stranded motorists. Tourists (or people without 4-wheel drive) beware. Sierra at Tahoe, Alpine Meadows, Northstar and Squaw Vallew all received more than 80 inches, while Kirkwood boasted nearly 10 feet. It was an absolute shredfest. After last year's summer-like winter, smiles returned to the faces of Tahoe cold-lovers. Hopefully order will be restored before a state of emergency is declared.

TAHOE STORM PHOTO GALLERY