Winter weather warnings were issued for four states as motorists were urged to slow down

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service (NWS) are warning drivers in four states to slow down and exercise caution as snow, strong winds and reduced visibility are expected to create dangerous travel conditions in mountainous areas through Monday evening.

Urgent winter weather warnings have been issued for parts of California, Nevada, Washington and Oregon. Affected areas include the Greater Lake Tahoe region of California and Nevada, the West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada, and portions of the Cascades in Washington and Oregon, with snow and dangerous conditions expected in these mountainous regions.

Authorities are urging drivers to exercise caution, especially on major passes where snow accumulation can range from a few centimeters to over a foot. The warnings highlight the potential for slippery roads, poor visibility and travel delays.

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A winter weather advisory has been issued for the greater Lake Tahoe area from noon Monday until 10 p.m. PST for elevations above 6,500 feet. Snow accumulations of 2 to 6 inches and gusty winds up to 45 mph are expected. Drivers should expect slippery road conditions on the Donner, Echo and Carson passes, with visibility dropping to less than half a mile at times.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for elevations above 4,000 feet in Washington's North Cascades, including Washington Pass, from 6:00 p.m. Sunday to 1:00 p.m. Tuesday.

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Snow accumulations between 4 and 16 inches and gusty winds up to 35 mph are expected. Travelers on SR 20 and Washington Pass should prepare for difficult travel conditions. Likewise, the Okanogan County area of ​​Washington will see up to 14 inches of snow above 4,000 feet, with the warning running from 6 p.m. Sunday through 1 p.m. Tuesday.

In southern Oregon, the Siskiyou Mountains and Southern Oregon Cascades are also prepared for heavy snowfall, with snow totals expected to be between 8 and 16 inches in areas above 5,000 feet. The advisory runs from 4 a.m. Monday to 10 a.m. Tuesday and warns of difficult travel conditions, particularly during the Monday morning and evening commutes.

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Meanwhile, in Colorado, nearly 40,000 customers were without power early Saturday after a winter storm swept across the state.

Denver County was the hardest hit, according to PowerOutage.us, an online service that tracks outages across the country. As of Saturday, around 25,000 customers were affected.

Counties surrounding Denver, such as Adams, Jefferson and Arapahoe, recorded 4,485, 4,400 and 3,630 outages, respectively.

Storm warnings were also issued for several other states this week, including Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Up to 24 inches of snow was expected in Colorado's mountainous regions, while cities like Matheson, Agate, Hugo and Limon could see up to 20 inches.