Photos: Stranded Bay Area travelers make the best of the Tahoe blizzard as Interstate 80 remains closed

Persistent snow and winds are keeping Interstate 80 shut through the Sierra Nevada mountains and its reopening time unclear.

The blizzard warning had originally been set to expire at 10 a.m Sunday, but the National Weather Service on Sunday morning extended it to 4 a.m. Monday as mountain communities attempted to dig out from the biggest snowstorm of the year while it kept going — and going.

An alternate, though slow route home for Bay Area residents who might brave the drive around the east side of Lake Tahoe to US Highway 50 at South Lake Tahoe became a dicey proposition after a snow slide early Sunday morning buried the highway at Meyers Road under a few feet of snow, trapping several vehicles.

“We did think we were going home today but we’re stuck here,” said Lexi Esquivel, 15, a sophomore at Dublin High School staying in Truckee with her family for a snowboarding and winter-recreation getaway.