Is the road open?

Live chain controls, closures and 274 cameras on the roads between Reno, Tahoe and Sacramento — answered here, not linked to somewhere else.

Pick a road

What this site is

Caltrans publishes chain controls, closures and cameras for the California side of the Sierra. Nevada DOT publishes its own for the Nevada side. The National Weather Service publishes the forecast at each pass. Working out whether you can get over the hill this afternoon means checking all three and already knowing which control point matters.

This site does that for you. One page per road, every camera on it in the order you would drive past them, the chain-control ladder from the bottom of the grade to the top, and the forecast at the summit. Every page says how old its data is, and links back to the official source — because on a road that is closing, a number without a timestamp is worse than no number.

Straight answers

The questions people actually type when a storm is coming.

• R1, R2, R3 Chain Control Levels Explained for I-80 & US-50

  Understanding California chain control requirements on I-80 and US-50. What R-1, R-2, and R-3 mean for your vehicle and tires.

• Donner Pass Chain Controls and I-80 Status

  Every chain-control point on I-80 with its elevation, and the order Caltrans brings them down the grade as a storm deepens.

• Is I-80 open? Current Donner Pass and Sierra road status

  The live answer for I-80 over Donner Pass, what the status actually means, and where traffic gets held when Caltrans closes the road.

• Kingsbury Grade (SR-207) Road Conditions and Chain Controls

  Check live chain controls and road status for Kingsbury Grade (SR-207) between the Carson Valley and Lake Tahoe.

• Mt Rose Highway Conditions Today (SR-431)

  Real-time road status for SR-431 Mt Rose Highway. See current chain controls, weather, and live webcams for the pass between Reno and Incline Village.

• Reno to Sacramento Road Conditions: I-80 and US-50

  132 miles and two hours in good weather, over a 7,239 ft summit. Which of the two routes to take, and what each one does when it snows.

• Reno to Tahoe Road Conditions: Which Road is Open

  Four ways from Reno to Lake Tahoe, from 35 minutes to 90. Which shore each one reaches, and the order they close in when a storm comes through.

• When the Sign, the Webcam and the Feed Disagree

  Three sources for one road and they are rarely identical. Which one is the law, which one is the ground truth, and the work-zone trap that reads as a closure.

• Truckee to Reno at Night: the Canyon Stretch

  Thirty-one miles and 1,423 ft down, through an unlit river canyon that crosses a state line mid-way. What catches people on the eastbound run after dark.

• US-50 Echo Summit Chain Controls and Road Conditions

  Real-time chain control status for US-50 Echo Summit. Learn how to interpret R-1, R-2, and R-3 requirements and view live cameras.

• What to Carry: Sierra Winter Driving Kit for I-80 and US-50

  The kit that gets you over Donner in a storm and keeps you comfortable if you are held for four hours. Chains that fit, and the things people forget.

Things to do around Reno and Tahoe

93 guides, written for people who have to drive a mountain road to get there — so each one tells you which road, and what it does in winter.

• Advent Holiday Tree Lightings and Events in Reno-Tahoe
• Beginner Ski Resorts Near Reno: Access and Terrains
• Christmas Lights and Holiday Events in Reno and Tahoe
• Christmas Events, Lights, and Tree Recycling in Reno-Tahoe
• Ice Skating in Reno and Lake Tahoe: Rinks and Locations
• New Year's Eve in Reno and Tahoe: Events and Roads
• Reno Airport Winter Delays: Travel and Road Tips
• Reno With Kids: Winter Driving and Childcare
• Reno Snow Storms: Road Conditions and Emergency Preparedness
• Tahoe Ski Resort Webcams and Road Conditions

All 93 guides →

What is on

• September 2026 events

  79 listings

• October 2026 events

  83 listings

• November 2026 events

  40 listings

• December 2026 events

  25 listings

Where the cameras are

All 272 cameras we cover. Click a marker to open one.

Weather at the passes

Every road we cover

• I-80

  91 cameras

• SR-431 Mt Rose

  13 cameras

• SR-267

  4 cameras

• SR-28

  6 cameras

• SR-89

  8 cameras

• US-50

  36 cameras

• US-395

  73 cameras

• SR-207

  2 cameras

• SR-88 Carson Pass

  1 cameras

• Reno city cameras

  40 cameras

Chain controls, closures and camera images: Caltrans District 3 and 9 (public domain) and Nevada DOT / nvroads.com. Weather: National Weather Service — not an official NWS product. Nevada Explorer is not affiliated with any of them. Always confirm with Caltrans or NDOT before you travel.