AllMovie

This series from the History Channel explores some of the most dangerous and deadly natural disasters of all time, including this episode on deadly snowstorms that have hit Sierra Nevada. In 1952, a snowstorm caught the streamliner "The City of San Francisco" off guard as they traveled through the historic Donner Pass. Passengers from a train witnessed this storm and they recount the details of the devastation. There is also a look at a woman, Anna Conrad, who was buried alive in an avalanche in 1982 in the Sierra Nevada area. She survived, even though she was buried in the snow for five days. Historians talk about the early storm that hit this part of the country, involving the Donner Party, and scientists talk about how even though this area is known more for beautiful landscapes than horrific snowstorms, Mother Nature can be very unpredictable.