Advertisement Dire warning from California police: 'Just please stop coming up here' Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Northern California is experiencing what any New England snow lover can only dream of: record-breaking snowfall.The Sierra Nevada mountains and Lake Tahoe region have received anywhere from 5 to 10 feet of new snowfall just within the past seven days. That's more snow than most New England cities and towns receive in an entire winter season. The incredible amounts of snow have created a dangerous situation on roads and highways heading from the California coast to the mountains, as thousands of people flock down the snow-covered roads to try and enjoy the fresh powder. "Just please stop coming up here," one California Highway Patrol division near Lake Tahoe warned. Troopers said the roads could not handle the amount of vehicles that were coming up, and warned of six to eight hour delays because of vehicles getting stuck. "The situation is too much for the area to handle and there is nowhere for you to go."Roads in the area were being frequently closed for crews to do avalanche control, a process in which small explosive devices are used to remove unstable snow from the cliffs near the edges of roads. Many Lake Tahoe ski resorts are struggling with too much of a good thing. "Another 2.5 feet of snow in the past 24 hours!" Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows said on its website. "Avalanche danger is extremely high today, so expect limited operations." Nearly every ski lift at the California resort was expected to be impacted due to the snow or high winds. Staggering amounts of snow have fallen at other locations around the state. Mammoth Mountain reported 11 feet of snow fell on its 11,053-foot summit over four days, bringing the season total to more than 32 feet, the resort said.The record amounts of snow in the mountains and rain in the valleys of California was helping to end a multiyear drought across parts of the state. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported Thursday that a large portion of the state including the Sierra Nevada, much of the Central Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area is free of any significant dryness.