Snow began to pile up on I-5 in the Weed-Mount Shasta area of Northern California after dark Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, prompting closures in southern Oregon the following day.
California Highway Patrol
Update: At the request of California transportation officials, just before 5 p.m. Wednesday the Oregon Department of Transportation announced that it would end a closure of Interstate 5 southbound lanes that had lasted for more of the day. However, travelers are still likely to face delays. ODOT said it would meter southbound vehicles near I-5 Exit 11, at Ashland, which could lead to slow traffic and congestion.
Earlier: A snowstorm caused the southbound closure of the Interstate 5 freeway near Ashland on Wednesday, leaving some motorists stranded near the California-Oregon border.
As of Wednesday afternoon, I-5 was closed to all southbound traffic at Exit 14, south of Ashland, due to hazardous winter conditions in California to the south. There was no estimate for when it will reopen.
Meanwhile, the California Department of Transportation closed northbound traffic between the California communities of Fawndale, north of Redding, and Yreka.
To get the latest information on road conditions in Oregon, visit tripcheck.com. In California, go to roads.dot.ca.gov.
California transportation officials reported nearly 6feet of snow on parts of the freeway in Northern California. They spent much of the night rescuing motorists who got stuck in the snow near the town of Weed.
By late morning, officials had closed southbound I-5 between Ashland and Yreka because of several vehicles that had spun out of control.