TRACY, Calif. — Mt. Diablo blanketed in snow and cars stuck on backroads near the Interstate 580 Altamont Pass were new sights for commuters and truck drivers Friday morning after a winter storm dumped rare snowfall onto the hills separating the San Joaquin Valley and delta from the Bay Area.
Truck driver David Alcasas was hauling recycled batteries on I-580 Friday morning when he reached the Altamont Pass flanked in snowfall at around 1,009 feet in elevation.
"Well, I've been living in the Bay for about 12 years, this is the first time I saw it like this this morning," said Alcasas. "I'm used to it heading to Reno and stuff, but not like this."
Truck driver Luke Francis was hauling new TVs from Stockton.
"The low snow is just killing me," said Francis. "I've never seen the Altamont like this, never. I see the other mountains, the higher-up mountains, but not like this."
But, perhaps the best view of it all — the lone home at the top of the pass owned by Jose Martinez.
"I've never seen anything like that before," said Martinez from his front porch where across the freeway, livestock grazed on the snow-covered hillside. "I've been here five years and I have never seen anything like that."
Earlier in the day, the California Highway Patrol reported 100 vehicles stuck on backroads near the Altamont Pass.
Up the road, along I-5 into Stanislaus County, the west side of the county also had some hills covered with a blanket of snow.
Jeannine Murphy heard about the low snow driving from her hometown of Monterey.
"Then we pulled up and then there it is," said Murphy. "I was so surprised."
Also surprised — but not in a good way — was Bill Lario of Sacramento.
He was headed to Los Angeles for a rugby match featuring a team from his native Fiji. He had driven from 9 p.m. Thursday, getting to the base of the Grapevine at 2 a.m. Friday.
It was there that Lario learned the mountain pass was closed because of snow.
"I was sad, but mad at the same time, too," said Lario. "We didn't want to risk it so we were like, well, I guess it wasn't our plan."
Watch more from ABC10: California Weather Forecast: Low snow levels impact travel in the Sierra
