UPDATE (11 a.m.) - Caltrans has announced that Interstate 5 at the Grapevine has reopened.
California Highway Patrol officers are escorting traffic over the pass.
GRAPEVINE: I-5 is now OPEN with CHP escorting traffic over the pass. Please drive carefully and follow the lead CHP vehicle at a safe speed and distance. pic.twitter.com/D7OQi8xhji
— Caltrans District 6 (@CaltransDist6) December 27, 2019
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(10:41 a.m.) - Southern California skies have turned clear and cold in the aftermath of a powerful winter storm but sections of a major highway remain closed due to snow, ice and traffic accidents.
The closure of Interstate 5 that began Christmas night continues Friday in the mountains north of Los Angeles through the Tejon Pass, also known as the Grapevine.
The California Highway Patrol reported Friday morning that most of the snow over the Grapevine had been cleared, but temperatures dropped into the single digits overnight, causing miles of roadway to freeze. The CHP said Caltrans was working to thaw the ice. Once safe, officers would begin escorting traffic through the area.
Highway 33 north of Ojai also remained closed as of Friday morning.
Drivers on the Central Coast should again expect heavy traffic on Highways 101, 46, 41, 58, 154, and 166 because of those closures.
Highway 166 was closed Thursday due to multiple vehicle crashes and snow but is now open.
