I-5 reopened following snowstorm

ASHLAND, Ore. – A 150-mile stretch of highway shut down in a fast-moving snowstorm in California and Oregon has been reopened in both directions, freeing commercial truck drivers who were the last ones stranded.

Northbound lanes on Interstate 5 opened Monday afternoon to vehicles with chains; southbound lanes were reopened around 11 p.m. At that time, only commercial truck drivers were still stuck on the road, said Jared Castle, spokesman for the Oregon Department of Transportation.

“Some wanted to wait it out and we gave them the option,” he said Tuesday. He did not know how many trucks were on the road when it reopened Monday night.

An estimated 250 to 500 vehicles were stranded overnight when Siskiyou Pass was closed Sunday night, said John Vial, district manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation. Cars began to leave the area late Monday after spending a long, frigid night in their cars with little food or water.

Crews spent the day clearing roads, pulling cars out of snowbanks and shuttling supplies to the stuck drivers before leading them down the mountain pass Monday afternoon.

“We also gave motorists the option of abandoning vehicles and going to shelters. Some did that,” Castle said. “Then we deployed pusher trucks to touch the vehicles and get cars going. Some of the snow drifts were 5 to 6 feet and it was slow going.”

Volunteers used snowmobiles to bring food, gas and water to the drivers, most of whom carried no tire chains. Officials also delivered portable toilets to motorists.

Tow truck driver Kevin Wyatt spent the night digging out cars and trucks. “It’s just been miserable,” said Wyatt, his face smeared with soot. “They thought it was a light storm and it just came down super, super fast. After they got stuck we couldn’t get up here fast enough. When it snows four inches in two minutes, you can’t do nothing.”

The National Weather Service said as much as 2 feet of snow had fallen along Interstate 5, which was shut down from Redding, Calif., to Ashland. State police said some drifts were 6 to 7 feet high.

A 57-year-old Oregon man stranded near the summit died of a heart attack after helping other drivers put chains on their cars, authorities said. “He was pushing cars out of snow banks.” Castle said.

On the California side, stranded motorists were able to leave shortly after noon Monday, and there were no injuries or accidents to report, said Sgt. Don Jordan of the California Highway Patrol.

Wind from the storm caused more than 200,000 power customers in California and Oregon to lose power.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said 186,000 of its customers in northern California lost power after the storm hit Sunday night. By Tuesday morning, more than 3,000 customers were in the dark.

In Oregon, 42,000 power customers were in the dark Monday. By Tuesday, at least 11,000 customers were without power, most of them in the populous mid-Willamette Valley area. Most were expected to be restored by late Tuesday.

In addition, about 2,200 customers in the Yreka, Calif., area, just south of the Oregon border, had no electricity. Pacific Power spokesman Dave Kvamme said some of those in rural areas may be out for a couple of days.

Castle said Tuesday was a good day for people to drive home from holiday vacations. “We have another storm on New Year’s Day,” he said. “I’ve told everybody to get home today and kiss grandma goodbye.”