Grapevine Section Of I-5 Shut Down Due To Heavy Snow

CASTAIC (AP/KNX 1070) — Snow and icy road conditions forced the closure of the Grapevine section of Interstate 5 in the mountains north of Los Angeles Thursday afternoon, after it was reopened for a few midday hours.

The California Highway Patrol shut down the major north-south route for the second time Thursday at about 4:10 p.m. because of heavy snow coming down in the area. The northbound I-5 was shut down at Parker Road in Castaic and the southbound lanes were closed off at Grapevine Road.

"Some early morning snow and some collisions out on the freeway have prompted us to temporarily close down the highway," Officer Brent Townsend told KNX 1070.

The CHP said the highway would remain closed throughout Thursday night.

Some drivers got out of their cars, which were at a standstill before the closures, to find out what was behind the holdup.

CBS2/KCAL9's Jeff Nguyen spoke to Jennifer Brown, a stranded driver trying to get to Northern California with her mother and infant son.

"He was fussy when we were sitting, because no motion and he's been in the car for about three hours," Brown said.

"We had an infant traveling with us and we were running out of milk, we've got diaper changes and our plans have been changed drastically," Brown's mother, Sylvia, said.

Some drivers said it was taking two hours to drive the span of a mile when they got near the closures.

The National Weather Service says the mountains could see snow levels down to 2,000 feet Thursday, while winds may gust to 60 mph there and up to 45 mph in valleys and coastal areas.

Highs will only hit the 50s and 60s and rain showers are expected throughout the region. It's expected to be even colder on Friday and the cold will linger through the weekend.

There also will be overnight frosts and freezes in colder valleys.

For up to minute traffic, listen to KNX 1070 or visit our interactive traffic map.

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