CHP briefly escorts vehicles on 5 Freeway through Grapevine amid snow, strong winds

GRAPEVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- The California Highway Patrol briefly escorted vehicles on the 5 Freeway in the Grapevine on Thursday morning amid snowy conditions and high winds.

No pacing was needed as of 5:30 a.m. after conditions improved, the agency said.

Sleet and frozen rain fell in Lebec overnight Wednesday, and snow was heavy enough to stick to the ground in Frazier Park in the early early morning hours. Electronic signs notified motorists that chains were required.

"There was about an inch of snow on the ground, locked the hubs in, so we could get out," said Robert Haines, a resident of Washington state, referring to his vehicle's four-wheel-drive mechanism. "The roads are slick, plowed. No rock on the roads yet, you just got to take it slow and drive carefully."

The winds, meanwhile, were the big story of the day, with gusts reaching 70 mph in the 5 Freeway corridor and in parts of the San Gabriel Mountains. As of 7 a.m., the strongest gust was reported at 77 mph northwest of Avalon on Catalina Island.

"There is anticipated moisture to come in later on, so definitely give yourself time to get yourself to where you need to go," said Officer D.C. Williams, a spokesman for the CHP. "Watch your following distance, because with the slick roads, your stopping distance increases."

Some in Frazier Park said the snow was not as heavy as it was last year.

"We're expecting a lot more snow than this," said John Paige. "This time last year, we were plowing a couple of feet of snow."

Paige urged drivers to "definitely chain up or stay home until the ice melts. It's a lot harder to drive on ice than it is snow. Snow has traction. The ice is pretty bad."