US West sees big early-season snowfalls

Denver, Dec 7 The US West has witnessed early-season big snowfalls, with ski resorts in the Rocky Mountains rejoicing as heavy snow was falling without abatement and Northern California embracing an unusual amount of snowfall.

"No end in sight," reported OutThere Colorado, and "with more snow headed to Colorado", the state's ski resorts were looking forward to a flood of reservations.

Data show that early-season snowfalls translate into increased reservations at resorts, reports Xinhua news agency.

At the famed Aspen, six inches of snow fell on Monday and Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Steamboat Springs's Ski Resort saw 11 inches of snowfall over a 24-hour period, while other resorts saw big accumulations as well.

Meanwhile, Northern California witnessed more snowfalls.

Mammoth Mountain, the biggest ski and snowboard resort in the state, had already seen nearly 5 feet of snowfall this month. That's more than many ski areas in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest hope to see all season.

A major storm that hit Northern California brought snow to the mountains but also caused challenges for commuters.

Interstate 80, an east-west transcontinental freeway that crosses the US from downtown San Francisco to Teaneck of New Jersey, was cut off.

Moreover, there are several more storms on the horizon.

It was predicted that three storms would hit the California coast and then slowly move inland.

Tahoe Lake in California, Colorado and Montana would see huge snowfalls while the other West states including Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, and even some parts of Arizona.

With the early-season heavy snow, the NWS said an avalanche warning was in effect in Colorado on Tuesday, especially around the ski resort Vail, located 160 km from Denver, where four inches of snow fell.