Grapevine on Interstate 5 reopened

The California Highway Patrol reopened a stretch of Interstate 5 through the Grapevine that had been closed earlier Wednesday because of ice.

The highway was opened to vehicles with escorts at about 9:15 a.m., said CHP Officer Ed Jacobs. The freeway was closed between Castaic and Grapevine Road at about 6:35 a.m., Jacobs said.

Traffic moving at a slow speed on the highway will help warm the highway and melt the ice, he said.

Lingering rain, snow showers and gusty winds were expected to affect mountain regions until midday, according to the National Weather Service. Up to three inches of snow could fall Wednesday at elevations as low as 2,000 feet.

The additional precipitation could create hazardous icy roadways, the National Weather Service said. Snowfall, coupled with heavy winds, could reduce visibility to zero.

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Photo: Morning snow clings to a sign on the closed Interstate 5 in Lebec on Wednesday. Credit: Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times