Interstate 5 north of Redding reopens to big rigs: Storm updates
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A winter storm hitting the North State this week showed no signs of letting up Wednesday.
Rain continued to fall in the valley and snow was coming down in the higher elevations, including the Sacramento River Canyon, which is making travel a challenge for vehicles navigating Interstate 5 north of Redding.
The California Department of Transportation advised motorists to use alternate routes to get to their destinations, or stay off the road entirely.
A winter storm warning was issued by the National Weather Service for the higher elevations of Shasta and Siskiyou counties through Wednesday morning.
Scroll down for storm updates as they're posted throughout the day
4:30 p.m., Wednesday
Caltrans reopened Interstate 5 north of Redding to truck traffic.
The freeway was reopened around noon.
Also, chain restrictions on I-5 have been lifted.
7:25 a.m., Wednesday
Semi trucks are being held on northbound Interstate 5 at the Fawndale exit due to snow in the Sacramento River Canyon, according to Caltrans.
All other vehicles are being screened for chains at the Fawndale exit, which is 10 miles north of Redding.
Also, chains or snow tires are required on I-5 about 20 miles south of Dunsmuir and north of Mount Shasta.
On Highway 299 east and west of Redding, chains are required on all vehicles except 4-wheel drives on Buckhorn Summit and in the Douglas City area of Trinity County. Chains are required from Montgomery Creek to 3 miles west of Burney on Highway 299 East.
5:30 p.m.: Highway 36 reopens
Highway 36 is now open to all traffic in Trinity and Shasta counties, according to Caltrans.
The highway closed before 10 a.m. from Platina to the junction with Highway 3 south of Hayfork after winter weather conditions caused several big rig spinouts, Caltrans said.
4:15 p.m.: Interstate 5, Highway 299 re-open; some roads remain closed
Two main North State highways re-opened late Tuesday afternoon after a winter storm blocked traffic and caused accidents Tuesday morning.
Interstate 5 is now open to all northbound and southbound traffic, from Weed to Redding, according to the California Department of Transportation.
Westbound lanes re-opened and traffic is flowing again on Highway 299 at Buckhorn Summit, eight miles west of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area in Redding, Caltrans reported.
Some roads remain closed, according to Caltrans. Highway 3 is still closed at Scott Mountain in Siskiyou County, and Highway 36 is still closed from from Platina to its junction with Highway 3.
3:45 p.m.: Storm causes more power outages in Siskiyou, Shasta counties
The winter storm is knocking out power in some places throughout the North State.
Latest outages include more than 2,000 Pacific Gas and Electric customers in and around Montgomery Creek in Shasta County, and communities along Highway 44 east of Anderson, according to the utility company. Another 200 or more customers lost power in Round Mountain and nearby residences along Highway 299 east of Redding.
PG&E requests customers report outages at bit.ly/40EC7kk or call 877-660-6789.
The storm also damaged power lines and knocked out power to at least 525 Pacific Power customers living between Castella and Dunsmuir, 98 customers west of Sims, 155 customers in the McCloud area and 81 customers in Happy Camp and surrounding communities.
12:26 p.m.: Winter storm knocks out power in parts of North State
Storms knocked out power in some North State communities on Tuesday morning.
In eastern Shasta County, more than 500 people living in and around Burney were without power at noon, according to Pacific Gas and Electric's outage map. The utility company didn’t announce when it will be able to restore it.
More than 100 Pacific Gas and Electric customers in Bella Vista are without power, as are 200 customers in Oak Run, 1,000 in Cassel and 100 in Lakehead.
In Siskiyou County 628 customers near Happy Camp are without power after power lines were damaged, according to Pacific Power. Crews “were notified” at 11:55 a.m., the utility company said.
Fewer than 50 Pacific Power customers were also without power in rural places along the I-5 corridor from south of Weed to south of Yreka.
11:45 a.m.: More snow, wind on way for Siskiyou County
The National Weather Service's Medford branch issued a winter storm warning for parts of western Siskiyou County until 5 a.m. Wednesday
Communities above 3,000 feet should expect heavy snowfall, with 3 to 6 inches of snow accumulating on the ground by Tuesday night, the weather service reported. Most communities between 2,000 and 3,000 feet will get 1 to 3 inches of snow, with 2 to 4 inches falling near Sawyers Bar, 25 miles southwest of Etna.
Winds gusts, which reached speeds of 50 mph in some parts of the mountains, will continue until Tuesday evening, the weather service reported.
Towns most affected by winter weather include Somes Bar, Callahan, Etna, Fort Jones, Greenview and Scott Bar, the weather service announced.
11 a.m.: Caltrans closes more highways; some back roads 'not safe'
Caltrans announced more road closures due to winter storm conditions.
In Shasta County, Highway 299 is closed to westbound traffic starting five miles east of Buckhorn Summit, about eight miles west of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area in Redding, Caltrans announced.
In Siskiyou County, the agency reported State Route 3 is closed at Scott Mountain, about 33 miles southwest of Gazelle.
Interstate 5 remains closed to all northbound traffic from Fawndale, 10 miles north of Redding; and to southbound traffic starting at Edgewood, just north of Weed, according to Caltrans.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's office posted on social media motorists should be careful on roads near closed highways. "Stay off the roads if possible and if you do have to drive, do not take back roads," the sheriff's office said. "If the main roads are closed, it's safe to assume the back roads are not safe either!"
10 a.m.: Highway 36 closes in Shasta, Trinity counties
Highway 36 closed from Platina in western Shasta County, 40 miles west of Cottonwood; to the Highway 3 intersection 11 miles south of Hayfork in Trinity County, according to Caltrans.
Several "big rigs" spin outs on Tuesday morning prompted the closure, Caltrans reported.
The agency said it had "no estimated time on when the roadway will reopen."
Storm prompts travel warnings, closes North State highways
Winter weather closed Interstate 5 north of Redding on Tuesday morning.
The California Department of Transportation said all northbound traffic on the freeway is being stopped at the Fawndale exit 10 miles north of Redding due to whiteout conditions.
Southbound traffic on I-5 is being held at Edgewood in Siskiyou County. Authorities started holding traffic just before 6 a.m. Drivers are being advised to use an alternate route.
Chain requirements are also in effect on other North State highways.
On Highway 44, chains are required on single axle drive vehicles towing trailers from Viola to about 10 miles west of Old Station.
Chains are required on all vehicles except those equipped with 4-wheel drive on Highway 299 west of Redding in Trinity County.
On Highway 299 East, chains or snow tires are required from Montgomery Creek to about 5 miles west of McArthur in Shasta County.
Weather services warns storms could last until mid-week
The National Weather Service said to expect the strong winter storm to last through Wednesday, bringing with it widespread valley rain, gusty southerly winds and significant mountain snow. Thunderstorms on Tuesday and Wednesday could produce hail, wind and heavy rain.
The agency is forecasting a brief break in the storm on Thursday through Friday afternoon. Toward the end of the week, a weaker weather system will bring light Valley rain showers and chances of minor snow in the mountains on Thursday.
No snow impacts are expected for Redding, according to the National Weather Service.
Some Siskiyou County schools close Tuesday
Here's a list of schools that were closed Tuesday morning, according to the Siskiyou County Office of Education.
- Butteville Elementary School
- Happy Camp Elementary School
- Happy Camp High School
- McCloud Elementary School
- McCloud High School
- Mount Shasta Elementary School
- Mount Shasta High School
- Sisson Elementary School
- Weed Elementary School
- Weed High School
Golden Eagle Charter School District schools and Dunsmuir Elementary School and Dunsmuir High School are closed for spring break.