Placerville prepares for low-elevation snow as visitors flock to play

PLACERVILLE, Calif. — Heavy snow is falling as low as 3,000 feet near Placerville, and it’s coming down fast — prompting warnings from the California Highway Patrol and preparations from city leaders as the storm moves through the region.

Chain control was already in effect Tuesday, a few miles east of Placerville along Highway 50, where drivers encountered heavy snow around the 3,000-foot level in Camino.

City Manager Dave Warren said the city is expecting snow to reach Placerville by Wednesday afternoon. He said public works crews are prepared to keep roads clear and have staff on call if conditions worsen. He’s urging people to travel only when necessary, monitor conditions and plan ahead.

The possibility of snow falling as low as Placerville has residents and businesses hopeful.

Albert Fausel of Placerville Hardware on Main Street said customers are already stopping in to buy snow sleds, gloves and other supplies.

“It’s still raining down here, but once we get this low snow, either people are buckling in, or they’re all coming out, and they’re gonna go play in the snow. So, it’s pretty exciting,” Fausel said. 

He said the shift in weather brings a different crowd into town.

“That different kind of crowd comes in, and they’re getting gloves, they’re getting all the handwarmers, ice melters, so it brings in kind of a good hometown feeling into our town,” Fausel said. 

Drivers traveling through the area on Tuesday were met with heavy snowfall, and some visitors altered their plans.

A group of friends from the Bay Area stopped to play in the snow after roads shut down on Monday on their way to Lake Tahoe.

“We start coming here yesterday around 6 pm. So, we reach by Folsom and then the conditions were worse so we stuck in hotel there. Stayed the night there, and then we came here in the morning, and now we still can’t go to Tahoe, so we have to return back home,” Sayed Sadat said. 

Not before throwing a few snowballs.

Families said the convenience of snow at lower elevations is what draws them in when other destinations are too far.

“We figured this morning, like this might be a good chance because the temperatures is low enough that maybe the snow will come down low enough. And since we’re homeschool, they got their morning work done, and I said well lets take a quick jump,” Thomas and Melody Burns said. 

For now, the city says it’s ready — but officials are reminding residents and visitors alike to stay cautious as conditions continue to change.

Watch more: California Winter Storm Latest: Evening Update