Power being restored in South Lake Tahoe; Trees being cleared off lines and roadways

High winds kept emergency personnel busy throughout the day on Thursday. Downed power lines and trees wrecked havoc on the South Shore where many residents were without power for much of the day and evening.

A 200 ft tall tree fell at St. Theresa's Catholic Church just before noon. A photo of the tree barely missing the statue of St. Theresa in front of the church made it to the national news via Associated Press according to Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District Marshall Eric Guevin. Most of the damage was to the tree.

"It was a busy day," Guevin said. "Chain saws have been going non-stop since 9 a.m." He said a tree fell across Highway 50 in Zephyr Cove, closing most lanes of traffic. Several houses had trees fall on them but no injuries have been reported.

Liberty Utility customers in South Lake Tahoe lost power, with the county areas finally going up around 8:30 p.m. According to the utility's spokesperson Kathy Carter, much of Woodfords and Markleville won't be up until 11 p.m. Some pocket areas of Sierra Tract were slow in coming back on grid as well.

Four to eight inches of snow are expected through the night and into Friday. Winds will be dying down to around 12-13 mph with gusts up to 30. Friday's high is forecast to be 39 with a low of just 19.

Schools in the Lake Tahoe Unified School District will be closed on Friday.