Smooth Sailing on SoCal Roads Despite Storm

Some areas in Southern California were still seeing snow Monday night, but the roads were clear after a day of wintery weather that brought hail, rain and snow to parts of SoCal.

Clear roads was not the case earlier in the day, however, as snowy conditions caused several roads to temporarily close and wait out the weather.

Portions of the 5 Freeway that were shut down due to snow fall at the Grapevine reopened around 5:30 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

Interstate 5 was reopened in Castaic, where both directions of the freeway were closed from Lake Hughes Road to the Kern County line, according to the CHP.

Links: CHP Check Current Highway Conditions | Traffic Conditions on Twitter Via @NBCLA

The closure snarled traffic for hours, and officials warned that the Grapevine may need to be closed again later tonight, when tempatures in Castaic will drop into the 40s and the summit will feel freezing temperatures.

One traveler in Gorman said he lost two and a half hours to the closure, while another -- a truck driver on his way to Florida -- said he had to reroute his path.

"But it keeps people safe, so that's what's important," he said.

As of 11 p.m., when winter weather advisories for L.A. and Orange counties were set to end, there were no reports of road closures due to inclement weather.

Snow was expected as low as 2,000 feet, with gusts of 23 to 30 mph, causing visibility problems in the mountain areas.

Riverside County was under a winter storm warning until 3 a.m. Tuesday with an expected snow fall of 3-8 inches.

San Bernardino County was also under a winter storm warning in effect until 10 p.m. Monday

Weather Page: Interactive Radar, Forecast | Send Us Your Weather Photos

Rain was expected to increase heavily into Monday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Hail was reported in the San Fernando Valley and Orange County during the early afternoon.

"Looks like we're in for a wet start to the week," said NBC4 forecaster Elita Loresca. "We will see the majority of this rainfall in the foothill and mountain communities."

Follow the NBC4 Weather Team on Twitter: @FritzNBCLA | @ElitaNBCLA | @ByronNBCLA | @CarlNBCLA

By 11 a.m., most of the rain was moving to the north of Los Angeles and snow was falling in some mountain communities. Rainfall totals will range from .10 to .66 of an inch.

Snow is expected to start falling at the 4,000-foot level before dropping to about 2,500 feet late Monday. Two to six inches of snow are possible.

Gusts up to 60 mph are possible in Inland Empire and mountain areas.

Temperatures are expected to remain in the mid-50s for most areas through Wednesday, and then climb into the 70s by the weekend.

Follow NBCLA for the latest LA news, events and entertainment: Twitter: @NBCLA // Facebook: NBCLA

Leave Comments