5 Freeway Opens Through Grapevine After Closing For Second Time Thursday
LATEST WEATHER FORECAST | HOLIDAY STORM SHELTER INFORMATION
GORMAN (CBSLA) – The 5 Freeway through the Grapevine reopened Thanksgiving night after being intermittently closed throughout the day due to heavy snow brought on by a powerful storm which pummeled the region.
Heavy snowfall initially shut down the 5 Freeway through the Grapevine in the Tejon Pass at around 4:30 a.m. Thursday. The northbound 5 Freeway was shut down at Lake Hughes Road in Castaic and the Southbound 5 Freeway was closed at Grapevine Road. Northbound drivers were advised to use the 101 Freeway as an alternate route.
Just before 3 p.m., California Highway Patrol reopened the southbound lanes and were escorting drivers north. However, by 8:20 p.m., the freeway was closed again.
It fully reopened in both directions by around 1 am. Friday.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for L.A., Ventura and Santa Barbara County mountains which was set to expire at 4 a.m. Friday. Snow levels had dropped to under 3,000 feet, with heavy snow falling in the Antelope Valley communities of Palmdale and Lancaster. CHP was advising drivers on the 14 Freeway to exercise caution. State Route 138 was also shut down at Oasis Road north of Wrightwood.
"Snow levels continuing to drop, significant snowfall in our local mountains," CBSLA Meteorologist Danielle Gersh said Thursday.
The storm which arrived in the Southland late Tuesday night won't taper off until Friday morning. Along with the mountain snow, it's also brought steady rain and the threat of thunderstorms. A flood advisory for L.A., Ventura and Orange counties expired Thursday morning.
"Steady rain expected throughout the day for your Thanksgiving, pockets of downpours and heavier rain within that," Gersh said.
The storm has also created the risk of mudslides and flash flooding to burn areas, including the region of Santa Barbara County just hit by the Cave Fire.
As of 1 a.m. Thursday, downtown Los Angeles had gotten 1.12 inches of rain. The normal rainfall for this time of year 1.57 inches, NWS Meteorologist Curt Kaplan. "By the end of the day we could be close to normal," he said.
By the time the storm moves out, low lying areas could see rain totals between 1.5 and 2.5 inches, while the foothills could see up to 4 inches, according to the NWS.
The weather this rainy season will not be influenced by an El Nino warm water condition or its cool sister La Nina, Kaplan said. "It's a neutral pattern."
Most mountain areas will get 6 to 12 total inches of snow, including 3 to 6 inches in the Grapevine and up to 24 inches in the San Gabriel Mountains.
Meanwhile, several major roadways in the Angeles National Forest were closed due to snow. The closures included:
-- Highway 39 closed from two miles north of Crystal Lake Rd. to the Angeles Crest Highway.
-- Angeles Forest Highway from Aliso Canyon to Angeles Crest Highway.
-- Big Tujunga Canyon Road from Vogel Flats to Angeles Forest Highway.
-- Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road from Angeles Forest Highway to Angeles Crest Highway.
-- Chains required on the Angeles Crest Highway. Drivers without chains were advised to avoid the highway completely.
