CALIFORNIA, USA — Rain and wind intensified early Monday morning across Northern California as many made their morning commute.
The Monday commute was a tough one. Hundreds of Caltrans workers are standing ready ahead of flooding risks for the region. Many spinouts and crashes were reported on Highway 99 and Interstate 5 on Monday morning.
Tim Weisberg, a spokesperson for the California Office of Traffic Safety, says if people can avoid driving on the roads Monday, then they should do so. However, for people that don't have a choice, he says they should take it slow.
The storm is expected to move out midweek, but another will quickly follow on its heels. Forecasters warned that people in the Sierra Nevada should prepare for days of snowfall.
Chains alert
As of Tuesday morning, Caltrans is requiring chains on all vehicles on I-80, with the exception of four-wheel-drive vehicles with snow tires, going from Nyack to Hirschdale Road in Truckee.
I-80 Closures
Eastbound I-80 is closed at Colfax and westbound I-80 is closed at Nevada Stateline due to down powerlines. There's no estimated time of reopening.
ABC10's Van Tieu reported that people who made a pit stop after the Colfax closure on eastbound I-80 won't be able to finish their trip. The on-ramp at Nyack was closed to additional traffic.
Links to follow:
Live Maps
Live map showing traffic conditions along Interstate 80, Highway 50, Highway 89 around Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Mountains.
Snow Park locations are identified with purple markers.
Sacramento Valley traffic from Waze (zoom in to where you want to go):
Highway 99 Update
All lanes of Highway 99 are open again after flooding temporarily blocked two lanes near 47th Avenue.
Chain controls on I-80
With snow expected to continue falling through the night and into Tuesday, chain controls have been put into effect. I-80 is R2 Nyack to Hirschdale in both directions.
- SR-89 is R2 Pickett’s Junction to Sugar Pine State Park
- R1 Sugar Pine to I-80
- R2 Truckee to the Sierra County Line
- R1 Sierra County to Plumas County
- Emerald Bay is closed.
- SR-267 is R2 Northstar to Squaw
- SR-28 is R2 Tahoe city to Lardin
- SR-20 is R2 Washington to I-80
- US-50 is R2 Kyburz to Meyers
- SR-88 is R2 Hams Station to Woodfords
Flooding on Highway 99
Caltrans says two lanes are blocked near 47th Avenue due to flooding.
Highway 99 Delays
Caltrans is telling drivers to expect delays as they make their evening commutes. Due to flooding, Caltrans is warning of delays along Highway 99 near 47th Avenue. There are no lane closures at this time.
I-80 Closure Canceled
Plans to close a portion of Interstate 80 were canceled by PG&E minutes before a planned closure was expected to take place.
Interstate 80 eastbound and westbound will remain open in the Sierra.
Interstate 80 closures
There's a one to two hour closure planned for I-80 starting at 4:30 p.m as PG&E rehangs powerlines across Interstate 80 at Cisco Grove. Closure locations include:
- I-80 WB at Truckee
- I-80 EB at Nyack and Cisco Grove
- SR-20 EB at Nevada St
Road Closures
I-80:
- Eastbound I-80 was reopened this afternoon after being closed due to a downed power line in Cisco Grove. PG&E removed the power line.
Bader Road
- Bader Road is now open between Pleasant Grove School Road and Justamere Lane. Elk Grove Public Works was removing a tree that is blocking the roadway.
Traffic Latest
I-5:
- An overturned car was on 3rd Street and Broadway this morning near ABC10.
Highway 70:
- Eastbound and Westbound roadways on Highway 70 are closed from Jarbo Gap at the Greenville Wye because of slides and debris flow near the Dixie Fire burn area. Caltrans is at the scene. There is no estimated time of reopening.
Chain Control Latest
I-80:
- Eastbound: Chains required on all vehicles at Drum Forebay (except 4-wheel-drive or with snow tires)
- Westbound: Chains required on all vehicles at Truckee (except 4-wheel-drive or with snow tires)
Highway 50:
- Eastbound: Chains required on all vehicles near Kyburz (except 4-wheel-drive or with snow tires)
- Westbound: Chains required on all vehicles at Meyers (except 4-wheel-drive or with snow tires)
Stay Home if You Can
Caltrans officials are urging those who don’t need to travel or who aren’t accustomed to dangerous driving conditions to stay off the roads Monday.
“If they aren’t comfortable driving with chains, then just delay their trips. If they can Zoom and all these other online things, you can just as well conduct business virtually nowadays,” said Gilbert Mohtes-Chan, a spokesperson for Caltrans.
Tracking Northern California storm: Dec. 12, 2021
RELATED: Winter storm to bring travel delays, road closures and possible power outages to northern California
Live Caltrans Traffic Camera
View and click a red icon below to view the live traffic camera from Caltrans. (This map can also be viewed in full HERE.)
RELATED: Sacramento Weather Forecast
WATCH ALSO: Storm Watch: Rain, snow and winds could bring flooding, outages, and impassable Sierra roads
