Both directions of I-5 over Grapevine reopen after snow halts traffic

FRESNO, Calif. -- Interstate 5 over the Grapevine is now open after being closed for several hours Monday due to heavy snowfall.

The National Weather Service tweeted out that snow was starting to stick on the freeway around 9 a.m. At that time, the California Highway Patrol started to do pacing of vehicles in an effort to slow speeds and keep the road open, but by noon Caltrans reported spinouts, accidents and heavy snow accumulations on the highway, leading officials to call for the closure of a section of Interstate 5.

Several vehicles were stuck on the highway when the closure was ordered, and shortly after 4 p.m., Caltrans announced that the snow had been cleared enough to release six or seven of the stuck vehicles at a time in the northbound direction.

As an alternative, drivers heading south could have used SR-58 to cross the Tehachapi Mountains and SR-14 to connect with Southern California. However, trucks and other large vehicles were being advised to avoid this detour due to high winds that had overturned several big rigs.

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