Watch: Lightning strikes near skiers as winter storm pummels West
The lightning strike and the snowstorm that produced it were part of a larger winter storm striking parts of the West.
Lightning spotted as skiers ski through winter storm in Idaho
Video shot on Friday shows lightning flashing across the night sky during a snow storm in Idaho. (Courtesy: Taylor Utt)
BOISE, Idaho – Video shot on Friday shows lightning flashing across the night sky during a snowstorm in Idaho.
The footage begins with a skier in an orange coat skiing down a slope in Bogus Basin ski area, as the dark sky above becomes completely illuminated by a blinding white light.
The blinding light then fades away to reveal the white, crooked line of a lightning strike piercing through the clouds.
Lightning during the winter snowstorm.
(Taylor Utt / FOX Weather)
The lightning strike and snowstorm that produced it were part of a large winter storm striking parts of the western U.S.
The Sierra Nevada mountains along California's eastern border were blanketed with snow as a blizzard has been hammering the Golden State for days.
DANGEROUS BLIZZARD CONTINUES POUNDING CALIFORNIA WITH 10-PLUS FEET OF SNOW, 190 MPH WIND GUST
The images below show snowfall overtaking the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab in California.
Snowfall at UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab. March 2, 2024.
(@UCB_CSSL / X / FOX Weather)
The first image features trees surrounded by a thick blanket of snow, and the next two images show how high the snow reaches on the handrail.
As of 8:45 a.m. local time, the lab said it had received nearly 40 inches of snow, with more coming by Monday.
The snowfall in the Sierras was so thick that it created hazardous driving conditions for travelers.
The shot below shows a California Highway Patrol SUV trying to navigate snowy State Route 89.
A CHP-South Lake Tahoe SUV in the snow.
(@CHPSouthLake / X / FOX Weather)
The point of view from inside vehicles driving in these conditions was particularly striking.
As seen in the dashcam image below, so much snow had fallen that it blended the divisions between the roadway and its woodland surroundings.
Shot from a dashcam in California.
(@CHP_Truckee / X / FOX Weather)
For those staying put and not having to be on the roads, the storm created a winter wonderland around their homes and businesses.
The snow created a headache for some, who had to clear it away.
![TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 02: A worker digs out snow from a home north of Lake Tahoe during a powerful multiple day winter storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 02, 2024 in Truckee, California. Blizzard warnings were issued with snowfall of up to 12 feet and wind gusts over 100 mph expected in some higher elevation locations. Yosemite National Park is closed and a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 80 was shut down yesterday due to the storm. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)]()
Image 1 of 5A worker digs out snow from a home north of Lake Tahoe during a powerful multiple day winter storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 02, 2024 in Truckee, California. (Mario Tama)
![TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 02: A worker uses a snowblower in front of a downtown business north of Lake Tahoe during a powerful multiple day winter storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 02, 2024 in Truckee, California. Blizzard warnings were issued with snowfall of up to 12 feet and wind gusts over 100 mph expected in some higher elevation locations. Yosemite National Park is closed and a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 80 was shut down yesterday due to the storm. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)]()
Image 2 of 5A worker uses a snowblower in front of a downtown business north of Lake Tahoe during a powerful multiple day winter storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 02, 2024 in Truckee, California (Mario Tama)
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Image 3 of 5A worker carries a snow shovel as snow falls north of Lake Tahoe during a powerful multiple day winter storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains on March 02, 2024 in Truckee, California. (Mario Tama)
![Two people walk with their dog as a blizzard hits Mammoth Lakes closing the mountain for skiers in the Eastern Sierra Nevadas of California, on March 2, 2024. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for California's entire Sierra Nevada through early March 3, 2024. Forecaster report the storm could bring three to five inches (8 to 13cms) of snow per hour. (Photo by DAVID SWANSON / AFP) (Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)]()
Image 4 of 5Two people walk with their dog as a blizzard hits Mammoth Lakes closing the mountain for skiers in the Eastern Sierra Nevadas of California, on March 2, 2024. (DAVID SWANSON / AFP)
![CALIFORNIA, USA - MARCH 1: A view of snow blanketed Truckee River in Truckee, California, United States on March 1, 2024 as blizzard warning issued for California's Sierra Nevada. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)]()
Image 5 of 5A view of snow blanketed Truckee River in Truckee, California, United States on March 1, 2024 as blizzard warning issued for California's Sierra Nevada. (Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu)
For others, it created an opportunity to enjoy a winter activity, such as this grandfather seen pushing his grandchildren in a sled on Friday.
A grandad pushes his grandchildren, from Oakland, at Northstar California Resort in Truckee, Calif., on Friday, March 1, 2024.
(Jane Tyska / Digital First Media / East Bay Times / FOX Weather)