35,000 people from Fresno to Sonora left without power after latest storm

COARSEGOLD, Calif. (KFSN) -- The power outage in the Sierra stretches north 150 miles, affecting 35,000 customers. Half of those are in Fresno, Madera and Mariposa Counties.

"Pretty heavy snowfall resulted in quite a few problems for us. Obviously, the weight of snow can bring down power lines it can bring down trees adjacent to power lines," said Denny Boyles with PG&E.

Homes in Oakhurst, Shaver Lake, and Bass Lake are among those without power.

"How soon the power can be restored depends on the weather, and it's changing by the minute, which is making driving on these roads extremely dangerous," Boyles said.

"Today has been a little different we don't typically have snowfall at this elevation and lower, and we do for today so its brought on a whole new set of hazards for those that are local to the Oakhurst, to the Coarsegold area, though they have driven in snow before its right," said Kaci Lutz.

Clifford Horner's car spun out on Highway 49, and while he was waiting for help, another car slid into him.

"I was in the car at the time and I could see her coming and I just kind of leaned over as far as I could to the passenger side," he said.

Nobody was hurt.

CHP Officer Kaci Lutz says the only benefit is fewer people are on the road.

"We are not seeing a whole lot of people because of the schools being closed and Yosemite being closed, and there's been a significant decrease in traffic," Lutz said.

But, as temperatures drop driving in the area gets worse.