Full Notification

The next series of storms is predicted to produce significant additional snowfall for Squaw Valley: over a foot on Friday and Sunday and a paltry 8-12" on Saturday with a few more inches Monday before clearing arrives next week.

The abundant snowpack is impressive and fun, but it brings some particular safety challenges that need to be addressed:

Make sure that vents and chimneys are clear of snow and can vent products of combustion (carbon monoxide is of greatest concern) to the atmosphere. Propane-fired furnace/boiler/water heater vents may be located on the roof or through a sidewall. With deep snow over or around vents, ice pockets can form, encapsulating the vent and allowing carbon monoxide to accumulate inside the structure. Check your vents and chimney and make sure that they are open. If your CO detector goes off, call 911 and evacuate the home until we can check for the presence of carbon monoxide.

"Adopt" the hydrant nearest your home and shovel it out. We're busily digging out hydrants every day, but your help would be most appreciated. Provide 30" of clearance all around the hydrant.

Park out of the roadway so that the County can effectively plow your street. When parked vehicles encroach into the roadway, the already difficult jobs of the grader and rotary plow operators become even more challenging and our streets gradually get narrower and narrower until it is very difficult for emergency vehicles (or anyone else) to get through.

Be cautious during periods of high avalanche risk, particularly in the known avalanche areas within the Valley. The Sierra Avalanche Center website is an outstanding resource for avalanche advisory information.

If you have an emergency, please call 911. Calling the fire station directly may waste precious seconds if we're out on a call or doing snow removal. Our colleagues at Dispatch always know where we are and how to reach us immediately in an emergency.

Have a great weekend, enjoy the snow and drive carefully!