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Sierra Snow Creates Travel Headaches On Interstate 80

COLFAX (CBS13) — Snowfall pounded the Sierra on Friday causing whiteout conditions on Interstate 80.

Traffic came to at a standstill in Colfax after on-and-off road closures throughout the afternoon.

"This storm was just so severe they couldn't keep up with it, and then visibility was zero at times," said Jason Brannon, a truck driver for Devine Intermodal.

Many people in the Sacramento Valley scrambled to get up the hill to enjoy the freshly fallen snow.

"We're coming from Manteca, and we're heading up to Tahoe to get some snowboarding in," said Ariel McIntyre. "We've been sitting here on the side of the road for about an hour and a half."

And she wasn't alone. Cars were lined up along I80 until 5 p.m. when Caltrans reopened the road. But truck drivers like Brannon had to continue their wait near Applegate Road.

"This is as far as trucks can go," Brannon explained. "If you were to go past him, the highway patrol would give you a ticket."

The Caltrans crew stationed near the Applegate exit turned away truck after truck, saying the freeway was just too dangerous for any 18-wheelers. Brannon got stopped on his way from Sacramento to Reno. And after waiting for 6 hours, he still had no idea when he could hit the road again.

"It could be tomorrow, don't know," he said.

Caltrans advises drivers to check the website and the QuickMaps App for road conditions before they hit the freeways.

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