The 5 Freeway through the Grapevine area has reopened Thursday afternoon after officials closed the stretch in the morning due to dangerous snow and ice conditions.
All lanes were reopened around 3:40 p.m., according to Caltrans.
The hourslong shutdown came amid a powerful winter storm that is dropping several feet of snow at higher elevations.
Forecasters are calling for anywhere from 6 inches to 3 feet of snow above the 5,000-foot mark.
Enough snow and ice finally built up through the Grapevine area early Thursday morning to bring traffic to a stop.
The northbound 5 Freeway was closed at Parker Road in Castaic, while the southbound side of the freeway was shutdown at Grapevine Road.
An alternate route was available through Tehachapi on State Route 58 during the hourslong closure, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Images shared with KTLA by Rangel Martinez showed traffic at a standstill on the 5 Freeway.
“Snow is still coming down pretty hard … I don’t know if they’re going to open it anytime soon,” Martinez said about an hour into the delay.
The storm brought heavy rain and snow to the region through noon Thursday.
Isolated light showers are likely to continue into Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Coastal and valley locations are expecting 2 to 4 inches of rain by the time the storm moves through. Mountain and foothill areas that don’t get snow should see between 3 to 7 inches of rain, according to forecasters.
Drivers are urged to take the following precautions before getting on the road:
- Allow extra time for travel
- Have a winter weather kit in your car
- Check road conditions
- Bring chains if traveling in the mountains
Clear skies and dry conditions are expected to arrive over the weekend.
