TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on a summer snowstorm in the Sierra Nevada (all times local):
1:15 p.m.
California Highway Patrol officials say a fatal 16-vehicle crash has shut down westbound traffic on Interstate 80 in the Sierra Nevada, where snow and hail is falling.
CHP spokesman Officer Chris Nave says the crash happened Thursday in Placer County after the weather turned nasty and hail began to fall.
Nave says one man died when his pickup truck crashed into a truck. He said a few other people had minor injuries.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation.
The California Department of Transportation estimates the lanes will reopen after 6 p.m.
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11:43 a.m.
Snow is falling in the Sierra Nevada on the last day of summer, bringing a wintry look to the towering range shared by California and Nevada.
Forecasters said Thursday the September snow is early but not unheard of, and is being caused by a cool weather system moving south from Oregon.
National Weather Service forecaster Hanna Chandler says several inches (centimeters) of snow are expected at elevations of at least 6,000 feet (1,830 meters) in the northern Sierra.
Tioga Pass, the soaring eastern entry to Yosemite National Park, has been temporarily closed due to snow and a park webcam shows the white stuff covering the landmark Half Dome.
Southern California is also taking an early leap into fall, with cloudy skies and rain showers across the region.
Autumn begins at 1:02 p.m. PDT Friday.
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