PG&E crews and contractors had to temporarily pause working in the field and return to yards late this morning after whiteout conditions on roadways and falling trees made it unsafe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Work will resume to assess and repair storm damage to poles and power lines after severe weather has passed. Crews have returned to the field in parts of Nevada County where weather has allowed.
Poor visibility on roads and snow-laden trees toppling over meant about 175 workers in El Dorado, Placer, Nevada and Sierra counties had to return to work yards.
PG&E also urges customers to always treat downed power lines as live and to stay away. Report downed power lines and by calling 9-1-1 or 800-PGE-5000.
While crews have made strong progress in power restoration, new power outages occurred while weather worsened.
When crews resume restoration they will be utilizing helicopters and snowcats, navigating challenging terrain, and in some cases, even donning snowshoes to reach affected areas. Additionally, PG&E has brought in extra crews from outside the region, along with contractors, to support the local teams in restoring power.
Despite these efforts, some areas remain inaccessible due to road closures. As of 3:30 p.m. Thursday, here are the current power outage counts by county:
– El Dorado: 8,062
– Nevada: 5,315
– Placer: 4,105
– Sierra: 625
– Amador: 5,074
– Calaveras: 9,819
– Tuolumne: 4,931
It is crucial for customers to stay prepared in case of power outages. Customers should ensure their phones and tablets are charged and have battery-operated lanterns and flashlights readily available. To report a power outage and received updates, call 800-PGE-5002 or visit www.pge.com/outages