Question

What happened to the Donner party that would slow down emigration through the Nevada area to California

Answer 1

The shortcut that the Donner Party took made them loose days. They crossed the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and on October 28th snowfall blocked the mountain passes and trapped them in the wilderness.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

Heavy snow trapped the emigrants

Step-by-step explanation:

The “shortcut” to California had cost them many wasted days, and the Donner party crossed the Sierra Nevada Mountains late in the season. On October 28, a heavy snowfall blocked the high mountain passes, trapping the emigrants in a frozen wilderness.