Quote:
Originally Posted by canibeyou
Really???  I don't know one single person in Tehachapi that even owns a 4-wheel drive (which you would need when talking snow levels like you are). And I know a LOT of people in that town. Matter of fact, the snow levels in Tehachapi are so low that even City Data themselves don't have it recorded on their info page for Tehachapi.
The freeway gets closed due to big rigs... and their inability to drive safely no matter what the road conditions are. |
The pass in Tehachapi is just over 4000 feet, and does get snow and ice every winter. Usually, what will happen is that a big rig will lose traction and block one lane, when another will try to pass and also loses traction. This pretty much shuts down the highway until the trucks and the snow and ice are cleared.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stillkit
I won't argue about the big rigs as I drove one myself for over 30 years and watched the level of expertise among drivers decline steadily over those years to the point that even I'm afraid to be around them now.
However, I will stand by my assertion that it can darn sure snow up there. I've sat, more than once, in Bakersfield or Mojave waiting for CalTrans to plow the road enough for the CHP to escort traffic over the summit. I've seen that happen more than once on the Grapevine too.
|
The same thing happens on the Grapevine as in Tehachapi, but there are four lanes in each direction that get plugged up instead of two. On average, there are about 10 freeway closures on I-5 due to snow and ice on the Grapevine, but they can range in duration from an hour or two to several days. It is most common for the closure to last from six to twelve hours. Like Tehachapi, the Grapevine is a little over 4000 feet, and is subject to closure during any winter storm. Since much of the traffic is "flatlander" traffic from the L.A. region, driving on this stretch of road in the winter can be dangerous. I drive it almost daily, and when necessary, I do use my 4 wheel drive truck. I have been stuck in traffic when it's backed up because of snow, but usually, I am able to find an alternate route to get me through. I've only been "stranded" for about two hours at the longest, and only a few times in the past 16 years at that. Most of the time the storms seem to come in overnight, so it's better just to stay home if the weather seems bad enough, which seems to happen about four to six times a year at the most. There is no sense in driving in it, if you don't have to.
Welcome to City-Data.com forum! Make sure to register - it's free and very quick! You have to register before you can post and participate in our discussions with 700,000 other registered members. User profiles and some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your free account you will be able to customize many options, you will have the full access to over 15,000 posts/day about local topics and you will see fewer ads. 
Linear Mode
