Grapevine Still Closed, Big Storm Pounds Southland

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The I-5 freeway over the Grapevine in Southern California was still closed as of 4PM on Thursday, this after being shut down late on Christmas Day by heavy snow and high winds.

The road is closed from Lake Hughes Road near Castaic, to Grapevine Road in the southern San Joaquin Valley.

The popular route was shutdown by a combination of slick snowy roads, stranded motorists and high winds.

Here was the view Thursday afternoon at Frazier Park, near Tejon Pass, as snow was still falling.

The vital north south route for travelers between Northern California and the Los Angeles area was hit by up to a foot of snow, which blanketed the 4100 foot Tejon Pass with a layer of white.

Other areas of the Southland were also hit hard, including 3700 foot Cajon Pass along I-15 which links the Los Angeles Area with Las Vegas. All of this comes during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year, as thousands make their way north and south between the Bay Area and Southern California.

Areas of Southern California and the Los Angeles basin received between 1.5 and 4 inches of rain as a storm system blew in off the Pacific, with up to 2 feet of snow falling in the mountains.

As the storm moves out of the region on Thursday, crews hope to clear stuck vehicles and get the highway back open. As of Thursday, snow was being reported across the southland down to about 2500 feet in elevation.