On Monday afternoon, drivers on the Angeles Crest Highway in Wrightwood were stuck in at least a 3-hour gridlock, sitting in standstill traffic.
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The California Highway Patrol started receiving reports around 3 p.m. of drivers being stuck on the highway in both directions between Mountain High Resort and the town.
Some parties reported they were stuck in the vehicle with children and had no food or water.
A Los Angeles County Fire Department ambulance trying to transport a patient was also stuck in traffic. The patient they were transporting had non-life-threatening injuries but needed medical attention for a broken ankle.
Vehicles parked on the narrow highway shoulder obstructed the road and needed to be towed.
It wasn't until around 7 p.m. that traffic started to move slowly.
"We have been stuck for three hours trying to get home, get ready for work tomorrow but we are not moving," said Juan Salazar from Pico Rivera. "We came to enjoy the snow... but this is a wreck, horrible."
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Tire chains are currently required for most vehicles in mountain areas and will likely be needed for the rest of the week.
A powerful storm system is expected to arrive in Southern California Wednesday night, bringing up to six inches of rain in some areas and more snow in the mountains.
Fresh snow draws crowds to SoCal mountain communities
Apart from the traffic nightmare, the snow also drew snowboarding and ski enthusiasts to local mountain resorts to hit the slopes for the first time in 2023.
There wasn't much snow at Mountain High Resort in Wrightwood, but that didn't keep the skiers and snowboarders from showing up in droves.
Many local businesses were packed with people, some waiting two hours just to be seated at a local café.
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