KTLA

5 Freeway reopens through Grapevine as cold winter storm exits California

California skies were clear and chilly Tuesday behind a late-winter storm that refreshed mountain snowcaps, brought much-needed rain and whipped up waves along the coast but left some problems in its wake.

Snow closed heavily traveled Interstate 5 over Tejon Pass in the mountains between Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley.

Officials partially reopened the roadway with CHP escorts through the area about 5 a.m. Tuesday.

The 5 Freeway was completely reopened to traffic shortly before 6:30 a.m., according to a tweet from Caltrans.

Winds were fierce enough on the south Los Angeles County coast Monday night to blow down a roof over gas station pumps in Redondo Beach, where waves pounded the shore.

Freeze warnings were in effect through the morning in the far northwestern corner of the state and frost advisories were posted in the Sacramento, North Bay, Salinas, Hollister and Carmel valleys, as well as inland areas of Southern California.

Along the coast, gale warnings and high surf advisories were expiring but some small craft advisories were expected to last into the night.

In the Eastern Sierra, Mammoth Mountain reported up to a foot of snow from the storm. Southern California resorts received several more inches on top of a dump over the past week.

The National Weather Service said the system that caused the conditions had exited the region. Another system could return chances of precipitation to California later this week.