UPDATE: Interstate 5 reopens north of Redding; PG&E power outages reported

Damon Arthur and Jessica Skropanic, Redding Record Searchlight
·3 min read
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Interstate 5 at the Fawndale exit remained closed on Friday morning, March 10, 2023, due to winter conditions.
Interstate 5 at the Fawndale exit remained closed on Friday morning, March 10, 2023, due to winter conditions.

Update 10 a.m.

Interstate 5 north of Redding has reopened in both directions, Caltrans said.

The freeway had been closed since Thursday evening due to heavy snow.

Update 9 a.m.

Caltrans crews continue to work to reopen I-5 north of Redding.

"Right now what we are working with is a lot of ice on the roadway, and then our ramps and overcrossings still have a pretty good amount of snow on them. So we are working on getting those cleared out before we run traffic through the (Sacramento River) Canyon," Caltrans spokeswoman Haleigh Pike said.

She did not have an estimate for when the freeway will reopen.

Southbound I-5 remains closed at Edgewood and just south of Yreka.

Highway 97 is closed from Weed to 6 miles south of Macdoel.

Update 7 a.m., Friday

Interstate 5 north of Redding remained closed Friday morning as the North State digs out from the snow.

The freeway has been closed since Thursday evening.

I-5 south also is closed 3 miles south of the Highway 3 junction to about 5 miles north of Weed in Siskiyou County due to snow.

The snow also has caused problems with other North State highways.

Highway 299 is closed about 10 miles east of Bella Vista due to multiple spinouts, Caltrans said.

Chains or snow tires are required on Highway 299 East in the Burney area.

Chains and snow tires are also required on Highway 299 about 5 miles west of Redding.

Meanwhile, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is reporting power outages in several places in Shasta County.

According to the utility's power outage map, the hardest hit area is north of Lake Shasta in the Lakehead area and in the area of Round Mountain and Montgomery Creek.

Update, 6:15 p.m.

Interstate 5 is now closed to all northbound traffic on at Fawndale, 10 miles north of Redding, according to the California Department of Transportation on Thursday evening.

I-5 is also closed to southbound just south of Yreka.

Both closures are due to winter weather, Caltrans said.

Update, 3:25 p.m.

All semi trucks are being held on I-5 at the Fawndale exit north of Redding, Caltrans said.

Vehicles traveling northbound on Interstate 5 were being screened for chains Thursday, about 10 miles north of Redding.
Vehicles traveling northbound on Interstate 5 were being screened for chains Thursday, about 10 miles north of Redding.

Also, chains or snow tires are required about five miles south of Dunsmuir on I-5 in Siskiyou County.

Original story

With snow falling across the North State on Thursday, Caltrans is screening northbound vehicles for chains on Interstate 5, 10 miles north of Redding.

Chains were required several other highways in the North State, including Highway 44 near Whiskeytown Lake; Highway 299 near Montgomery Creek; Highway 44 near Shingletown; Highway 36 near Mineral to the east and Highway 36 near Platina to the west, according to Caltrans' road conditions map.

It snowed in Redding early Thursday afternoon. The National Weather Service said the snow is expected to turn to rain by late afternoon or early evening.

Highway 3 is closed at Scott Mountain in Trinity County, Caltrans said.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Interstate 5 reopens north of Redding