Strong winds and drizzly weather combined with holiday traffic to jam traffic along a 30-mile stretch of southbound Interstate 15 over Cajon Pass Sunday.
And on Interstate 10 in the San Gorgonio Pass, another 30 mile slow jam developed on the only freeway from the Coachella Valley to the rest of the state.
Just before noon, the average speed on Interstate 15 from Palmdale Road to Sierra Avenue was about 20 mph, according to Sigalert.com.
The highway, which serves as the main corridor to and from Las Vegas from Southern California, has an average of 152,000 vehicles treading the asphalt daily, according to Caltrans traffic counts. However due to holiday travelers returning home, that number is expected to be higher Sunday.
The mountain pass, an essential trucking and commuter route connecting the Inland Empire and the High Desert, will see winds as high as 60 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
The Cajon Pass cuts through the San Bernardino Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains and reaches an altitude of 3,776 feet. The NWS forecasted that snow levels could drop as low as 4800 feet Sunday, so snowfall is not likely to be seen on the six-lane highway.
A Winter Weather Advisory issued by the NWS does apply to the area and travelers should expect slippery roads and limited visibility due to showers that will persist until the late afternoon.
A wildfire that burned more than 36,000 acres of mountainside along the highway in September also increased the risk of mud and rock slides.
–City News Service