Winter Storm Impacts: Travelers Put On Chains In Snow to Continue

EMIGRANT GAP/NYACK (CBS13)- Drivers who set out on highways in the Sierra are required to have chains, except if the vehicle is 4-wheel-drive with snow, which means rest stops are busy Sunday night with travelers buying chains to complete their journeys.

At a rest stop in Nyack, the line inside wraps around the store. When drivers come out, they're carrying chains they bought to keep going on I-80. Some have enough help in their vehicle to get by, and others, have had to rely on strangers or store employees.

For a group of college students headed home, chains must go on their truck and horse trailer. They're working together in the snow to put the chains on and secure them for the rest of their drive.

Inside the trailer, they're carrying precious cargo: Okie and Rosie.

"I'm a little nervous about it just because these are my two good performance horses, but I think it'll be ok," said Chloe Lambert, the rodeo horse's owner.

Lambert said she's relieved to be traveling in a group, it made the process of putting chains on their vehicles move more quickly. She's also relieved there's a good driver in the group who can get them home.

"[It requires] going slow not touching your brakes too much because the trailer's gonna push your truck. Trying to stay back from people," said Lambert.

Wet jeans and soaked boots don't matter to the group who was relieved chains were still available.

Another driver, moving from the Bay Area, drove a U-Haul with all of his belongings to the Nyack rest stop. He was traveling alone, but needed chains, and got help from a store employee.

"I panicked a little initially, but the services are quite good here so I'm not worried now I can complete my journey, without any problems now," said one traveler.

Then there are those drivers who weren't aware of the winter storm warning in place and had to not only buy chains but reevaluate if their trip from California to Nevada was worth the drive in the dark.

"I just hate the snow. I don't like it. I don't like the cold. We didn't know the weather was going to be this bad," said Cindy Sanz, traveling to Nevada after a party in California.

A CalTrans spokesperson said, "it's all up to motorist behavior," when it comes to traffic delays or road closures due to accidents. He said delays vary in length and drivers should be patient.