1 dead in avalanche at Sierra ski resort

A potent storm has dumped as much as 6 feet of snow at higher elevations around Lake Tahoe in California’s Sierra Nevada range.

The California Highway Patrol said a 76-mile stretch of Interstate 80 was closed Wednesday morning because of the heavy snow and poor visibility. The highway is the main route linking northern Nevada and California.

I-80 also was shut down Tuesday because of spinouts and jackknifed trucks.

Also on Tuesday an avalanche at the Squaw Valley USA ski resort in the Sierra killed a veteran ski patrol member. Officials said the man was working on avalanche control when he was partially buried by a slide.

The Sierra Avalanche Center said avalanche danger remains high Wednesday on steep terrain in the region.