Update: Tuesday Closures And Power Outages
Update at 5:30 p.m.: For a second time today, Twain Harte residents are dealing with a power outage impacting nearly 3,000 PG&E customers. This outage spreads into Cedar Ridge and the Phoenix Lake area. Those affected areas are along South Fork Road, Phoenix Lake Road, and Highway 108. Weather is given as the cause and no restoration time has been estimated.
Update at 4:40 p.m.: A new power outage in the Tuolumne area as PG&E is reporting that 347 customers have lost their electricity in the three o’clock hour. Those impacted are along Tuolumne Road, Ponderosa Way and Old Buchanan Mine Road. The utility says weather is the cause and does not provide an estimated repair time.
Update at 4:15 p.m.: The CHP is reporting that rocks are blocking the westbound lane of Highway 120 and causing traffic delays. The boulders are about a half mile down New Priest Grade, near the East River Road intersection. Officers are directing one-way traffic. On Tuolumne Road at the Soulsbyville Road intersection, 3–4 vehicles are stuck in the snow, slowing travelers. Details on an ATCAA food bank distribution cancellation can be viewed below.
Update at 3:50 p.m.: An urgent message from ATCAA regarding the cancellation of one of its food bank distributions:
“The ATCAA Food Bank is cancelling their Farmers Market Food Distributions at the Twain Harte Community Center & Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Sugar Pine on Wednesday, March 1st. Food assistance can still be accessed at the Food Bank in Jamestown tomorrow, through one of the 16 local partner pantries, or at the next food distribution on March 21st. For questions, call the ATCAA Food Bank at (209) 984-3930 or visit ATCAA.org”
Update at 2:30 p.m.: Calaveras County crews are also turning lights back on for the initial 3,349 customers stretching along Highways 12, 49, 4, and 26. 1,346 customers in the Mokelumne Hill area have had their electricity restored, bringing the total number of customers impacted to around 2,000, with 1,346 stretching from Rail Road Flat to Glenco to West Point remaining without power. That number includes several hundred customers along Highway 4, which spans from Forest Meadows to the Arnold area. Currently, the total number of customers without power in both counties is around 3,700.
Update at 2:45 p.m.: PG&E is making progress on a power outage impacting 2,889 customers in the Twain Harte area along Highway 108 in Tuolumne County. Crews are on the scene working on repairs as the company reports that all but 778 remain without lights. The utility says the outage was caused by weather-related issues, and the estimated restoration time for those customers is 7:30 p.m. Additional current outages for the Mother Lode can be viewed below.
Update at 210 p.m.: There remain some lingering power outages and some new ones this afternoon in the Mother Lode impacting nearly 7,000 PG&E customers.
A total of 3,289 PG&E customers in Tuolumne County have no power. A new outage in the Twain Harte area has left 2,889 customers without electricity along Highway 108. Also, a power outage continues from last night with 400 customers without lights in the Groveland area stretching along Highway 129. The utility has only given a 4 p.m. restorations time for this outage, blaming equipment issues.
In Calaveras County, 3,349 customers are impacted with the hardest hit in the Rail Road Flat, Wilseyville, and West Point areas with 1,777 and Mokelumne Hill has 1,346 without electricity.
The company has attributed most of these outages to weather-related issues and no estimated time of restoration is available.
Update written by BJ Hansen at 10:11am: The US Social Security Office at 745 Morningstar Drive in Sonora is closed today. Services are still available via telephone.
Original story posted by BJ Hansen at 6:12am: Sonora, CA — Due to the weather, Tuolumne County government buildings will be closed today. Emergency services will still be operational. Interfaith Social Services is closed today. There are numerous school closures, as well.  Click here to view the latest list.
Dodge Ridge and Bear Valley ski resorts are both closed today due to safety concerns.
There are still some power outages in the Mother Lode this morning, and the hardest hit area is around Groveland with 400 customers without electricity. PG&E says that outage started during the three o’clock hour yesterday afternoon and there is no estimated restoration time. There are over 35 customers without power in the Phoenix Lake area, and a hand full in Twain Harte and Long Barn. There are also less than 100 in Calaveras County scattered between West Point, Railroad Flat and Wilseyville.
A National Weather Service declared Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for the Mother Lode, and a Blizzard Warning for the Northern Sierra Nevada, through 4am Wednesday. A Blizzard Warning for Yosemite will run through 4pm tomorrow. Find the complete weather recap by clicking here. Yosemite National Park will remain closed, through Wednesday.
In Tuolumne County, unhoused/homeless individuals who are age 60 or older, disabled, families with children, or youth ages 18-26 can call 209-768-9684 from 5pm to 9 pm to receive information about temporary overnight shelter.
Tuolumne County Public Works continues to offer sand locations. You need to bring your own bags and shovel.
• Columbia – Airport parking lot @ 10723 Airport Rd (please look for the orange cones)
• Tuolumne – 18870 Birch Street or at Parkview Ln and Chestnut Ave
• Jamestown – On the corner of 7th Ave and 8th St
• Big Oak Flat / Groveland area – 11242 Wards Ferry Rd
For those that need assistance with sheltering animals, please contact Tuolumne County Animal Control at 209-694-2730. Animal Control is open Monday thru Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For afterhours animal emergencies, contact the Sheriff’s Office dispatch at 209- 533-5815.
