Couple's 4-Hour Drive Home Turns Into 15-Hour Detour Amid Record Snowfall in Lake Tahoe

Record-setting snowfall recently caused an epic traffic jam stretching for miles along a winding road in Lake Tahoe, with cars moving mere feet every hour.

Josef de la Vega and his girlfriend, Rachelle, were on vacation in Reno, Nevada, just outside Tahoe, when they found themselves caught in the storm. 

“I called into work and I just told my boss, I have to take the long way home,” de la Vega said.

Josef, who works for the government, and Rachelle, a nurse, live and work in California’s Bay Area. 

It’s a 4-hour drive from Reno in normal times, but with the roads closed due to the epic snow, Josef knew the only way for them to get to work on time was to drive the long and winding road home.

And it took a whopping 15 hours!

The couple bypassed Lake Tahoe by driving down from Reno, almost to Las Vegas, over to Bakersfield, California, and then up to the Bay Area.

And yes, they both made it to work on time, after what just might be the world's longest commute!

“I’m still hurting right now. I’m just trying to stay awake,” de la Vega said.

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