Atmospheric river leaves mountain communities covered in fresh snow

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Snow covered the Shaver Lake country connected Thursday afternoon.

People were seen retired by the h2o enjoying the caller powder, including Maria Orosco and her family.

"It's precise exciting, truthful we're present trying to bask the snowfall earlier it's implicit with," said Orosco.

It was besides a show to spot for friends Hannah Prater and Sharon Winn, who decided to instrumentality a spontaneous travel up the mountain.

"It's bully to conscionable question up possibly similar an hr to get to spot immoderate snowfall. It's a bully Valley happening that we person successful our backyard," said Hannah Prater, a Fresno resident.

Winn says she's utilized to driving successful snowy conditions and believes it's important for drivers to beryllium prepared for the unpredictable weather.

"If you're gonna travel up and it's snowing astatine all, you should conscionable person chains successful your car. Even if you person an all-terrain conveyance due to the fact that the roads tin conscionable get truthful slick, and I've seen truthful galore accidents," said Sharon Winn from Fresno.

It's a sentiment echoed by Caltrans.

Plow Trucks were seen clearing the snowfall disconnected roadways.

Before heading up the mountain, officials suggest making definite your car is acceptable for the trip.

"You privation to marque definite your tires are successful bully moving condition. You privation to marque definite your state vessel is afloat successful the lawsuit that you bash hap to person to beryllium stopped for a longer play of time. Make definite your windshield wipers are besides successful bully moving condition," said Alex Aquilera with Caltrans.

Aguilera wants to punctual drivers to travel the rules of the road, specifically successful progressive weather.

Higher up the mountain, China Peak Resort looks similar a wintertime wonderland.

A video sent to Action News from China Peak President Tim Cohee shows the edifice is covered successful snow.

Cohee says the snowstorms volition support the edifice unfastened done mid-April.

For quality updates, travel Vince Ybarra connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.