Many Drivers Unprepared For Sierra Snow Storm
PLACER COUNTY (CBS13) - A spring storm created a driving disaster for people traveling through the Sierra, even causing a major road closure along Interstate 80 earlier Friday evening.
They've been able to keep the road open but several accidents and chain control have caused a slowdown. Many drivers were caught by surprise by the storm.
"My fiancé's not too happy right now, but we'll make it," said Daniel Bocek.
Two packed cars and bumper-to-bumper traffic weren't exactly the wedding present Bocek had in mind.
The road from Stockton to Tahoe is far from what they expected. And after six hours in the car, their journey is far from over.
"We're trying to find a place to buy some chains because the ones we brought with us are going to be too small," said Bocek.
A few miles west in Nyack, a gas station was full of drivers scrambling to get the chains on those tires. It's a weary wait just to buy the right equipment.
"They didn't have our size, so now we've got to come back down here to see if they have our size and then they say it's going to take another two to three hours to go back up to the top of the hill," said Todd Loukeis from San Jose.
And, of course, there's another wait for someone to put the chains on the cars.
"If you're going to come up to the Sierra any time of the year, slow down, be prepared and know what to expect because the weather can come at any time," said David Wood.
For this antsy wedding party, it's a lesson learned. But now they're just hoping they can make to the altar by tomorrow.
"As long as she's happy I'm happy and I'll make her happy again," said Bocek.
