Sheriff warns Mono County residents to stay home

Snowfall continues to clobber the Sierra — and a California county sheriff is urging residents to stay home in one of the most relatable ways possible.

“The roads are closed. All of them. There is no alternate route, back way, or secret route. It’s a blizzard, people,” Mono County Sheriff-Coroner Ingrid Braun wrote on the agency’s Facebook page earlier this week.

“You cannot see your hand in front of your face, let alone a snow stake to guide your way,” Braun continued. “Stay home. Or wherever you are if you aren’t home (and if you’re somewhere you shouldn’t be, you’ll have to sort that out with your significant other. We told you to make good choices).”

The sheriff’s no-nonsense messaging prompted cheers online, though it was unclear whether her exasperated posts had dissuaded drivers from taking to snow-clogged roads. First responders have rescued more than a dozen people from their frozen cars in recent days.

The county is “calling in resources from near and far,” officials said, but rescuing stranded drivers “is proving to be a nearly impossible task.”

With just over 13,000 residents, Mono County, sandwiched between the Nevada border and Yosemite National Park, has limited resources to rescue stranded drivers. The blizzard has brought historic snowfall, besting records set more than five decades ago. Officials closed Yosemite indefinitely Saturday.

Caltrans officials continue to close main highways through the Sierra because of heavy snowfall that shows little sign of letting up. Another storm is set to strike on Friday.

Mono County has recorded multiple avalanches in the past three days, sheriff’s office spokesperson Sarah Roberts said Wednesday in an email. The deluges have overwhelmed rescuers and threatened even the most hardened residents inured to frequent snowstorms.

An early morning avalanche Tuesday has left most county residents “without power for the foreseeable future,” Roberts said, adding that Caltrans won’t begin clearing the remote area until the storms have passed, even as snow removal efforts continue on Highway 395.

Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol have organized vehicle escorts each afternoon in recent days to help drivers reach their destinations. In the meantime, the sheriff plans to keep updating the county’s social media channels — with her signature sass.