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Snow fell steadily in Cobb, Kelseyville and Lakeport, with some snow also reported around Clearlake, according to the National Weather Service.
County Public Works Director Gerald Shaul, who also oversees county road maintenance, said that at about 4 p.m. Thursday, as snow was arriving across parts of the county, road crews were already out and beginning to plow and clear roadways, Shaul said. “We don't wait to get called out.”
Shaul said at this time of year, his road crews split their shifts in order to be available for weather-related calls.
Road crews were out all night long Thursday, sanding and plowing county roads in the wake of the snowfall. “We've got people sleeping today getting ready to go back out again tonight.”
He said road crews, which have six plows at their disposal, focus on major collectors and arterial roads, such as Bottle Rock Road, which tend to have more traffic. Subdivision roads are secondary.
Bottle Rock, the Diener Drive area and Kit's Corner all were problem spots Thursday night, with the California Highway Patrol reporting vehicles going off the roads in those areas.
An area at the top of Bottle Rock is consistently a problem, said Shaul, mostly because people tend to drive too fast even in difficult conditions.
Road crews also are dispatched to areas to help when accidents take place, said Shaul.
Although CHP reports from Thursday night indicated dozens of cars going off area roadways due to snow, Officer Mike Humble said Friday that no actual collisions were reported as a result of the weather.
“We only have one documented crash,” said Humble, explaining that the incident was not weather-related, because it took place in Nice, where no snow fell.
Humble said CHP managed OK Thursday night, with five units working plus some officers on overtime.
“This is part of our normal maximum enforcement deployment for the holidays,” Humble said.
Snow didn't prove a major concern for the cities of Lakeport and Clearlake, according to officials.
Lakeport's Public Works Department reported that no snow plowing had taken place, and Lakeport Police reported no accidents or other weather-related incidents.
Clearlake Police Lt. Mike Hermann said he knew of no snow falling within the city Thursday, but wet conditions led to slushy, muddy streets.
Sheriff Rod Mitchell said that, despite a busy night Thursday, “We did not have to increase staffing as a result of the weather.”
The snow did, however, impact the agency's response time to calls, Mitchell added.
Mitchell said the sheriff's office was anticipating more snow overnight Friday and, with it, more calls to their dispatch center.
Snow was again falling in parts of the county late Friday, with the CHP reporting snow sticking on Highway 20 near the Double Eagle Ranch outside of Clearlake Oaks. Rain was falling steadily along parts of the Northshore Friday evening.
Highways 20, 29 and 175 all were reported clear and free from chain restrictions in Lake County late Friday, according to Caltrans.
However, the county Department of Public Works reported that chains or four-wheel drive vehicles were required when driving on Elk Mountain or Bartlett Springs roads.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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Lt. Dave Garzoli of the Lake County Sheriff's Office reported Friday that 17 local law enforcement officers from five different agencies took part in the operation, which targeted known or suspected members of criminal street gangs.
Participating agencies included the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Patrol and Investigations divisions, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Central Dispatch, Lakeport Police Department, Lake County Probation Department, California Highway Patrol and Lake County Narcotics Task Force.
Garzoli said the task force's activities Thursday took place at several locations in and around the Lakeport and Kelseyville areas, resulting in the five arrests.
The task force arrested 18-year-old student Armando Barajas Vasquez of Kelseyville for possession of a dangerous weapon with a gang member enhancement, Garzoli reported. Jail records indicated Vasquez's bail was set at $25,000. He remained in jail Friday night.
Two 16-year-old Hispanic male juveniles from Kelseyville also were arrested on probation violations, Garzoli reported.
Other arrestees included Brittney Leanne Amparo, 18, of Kelseyville for possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana in a motor vehicle; and Alfredo Corona-Ramirez, 20, a laborer from Finley, for obstructing/resisting a peace officer in performance of their duties.
Garzoli reported that the task force's mission is to gather intelligence on criminal street gangs, street gang members, and their associates and to conduct directed anti-gang law enforcement operations in effort to combat and suppress criminal street gangs and their influences in Lake County.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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LAKE COUNTY – A snow advisory has been issued for Lake County and surrounding mountains overnight Friday and into Saturday morning.
At 4:17 p.m. Thursday the National Weather Service in Sacramento issued a snow advisory for Lake County and the surrounding mountains as another weather system moves through the area with both rain and snow forecast.
Cobb received 4 inches of snow Thursday night, while Clearlake received 1 inch according to the National Weather Service. They predict accumulations of up to 2 inches throughout the county Friday night.
Snow levels will be around 1,500 feet at first then rising to more than 4,000 feet by early Saturday morning, the National Weather Service states.
A snow advisory means that intermittent periods of snow may cause travel difficulties.
As reported earlier by Lake County News, numerous cases of cars sliding off area roadways were reported Thursday night following snow flurries.
The National Weather Service advises drivers to use caution on the roads and reduce speeds due to slippery road conditions and limited visibility.
E-mail Terre Logsdon at
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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED.
LAKE COUNTY – Snowy conditions in parts of Lake County caused mayhem Thursday night, with dozens of cars reported sliding off area highways and drivers fighting in the road.
On Thursday evening Caltrans issued requirements for vehicles to have either chains or snow tires while traveling from one mile north of the junction between Highways 29 and 53 to the junction with Highway 281/Kit's Corner.
On Highway 175, Caltrans reported that chains were required on all vehicles except four-wheel drives with snow tires on all wheels from six miles east of the junction with Highway 101 in Mendocino County to two miles west of the junction with Highway 29 outside of Lakeport.
County Public Works Director Gerald Shaul said his road crews was out by about 4 p.m. Thursday in an effort to clear and sand county roadways.
Shortly after snow began falling in parts of Lake County in the early evening, the California Highway Patrol's incident logs showed several cases of cars either becoming stuck in the snow or sliding off onto road shoulders.
Snow fell on the Hopland Grade, where the CHP reported a vehicle was stuck in snow in the middle of the road on the Lake County side.
The CHP reported that as many as seven vehicles were stuck in snow just after 7 p.m. on Bottle Rock Road between one and two miles from Highway 29. About half the vehicles needed to be towed out.
The Lake County Roads Department sent out a plow to clear Bottle Rock, which was reportedly free of snow about six and a half miles from the highway, according to the CHP. Officials had to call out more than one tow service in order to find tow equipment capable of towing the cars without losing traction in the snow.
Across the county, things only got worse as the evening progressed.
At 8:41 p.m. CHP reported that 15 vehicles had gone off the road on Highway 29 near Kit's Corner.
Scanner traffic indicated at about 9 p.m. that as many as 30 vehicles were stuck on roadsides countywide, as sheriff's personnel, fire departments and other county departments were called for assistance.
Emergency personnel, in some cases, were stuck behind multiple vehicle jams and accidents, or were stuck themselves, according to radio reports.
Just after 10 p.m., CHP reported that approximately 23 vehicles had slid off Highway 29 just south of Diener Drive near Lower Lake, with 11 of them stuck in the snow.
The Lake County Sheriff's Office closed the Glasgow Grade a short time later, according to radio reports. The roadway has since reopened.
The CHP reported the need for Caltrans to bring sand and snow plows to the Glasgow Grade area, while local tow companies reported being out of chains.
In some cases, delays and being stranded caused some peoples' tempers to flare.
At Kit's Corner, where the roadway was blocked by cars unable to navigate the snow and ice, the CHP reported that fights were breaking out between drivers.
Tow trucks had to help remove some of the vehicles, while Caltrans sent a plow which cleared the roadway shortly before 10:30 p.m., according to CHP reports.
Snow affected other areas of the North Coast.
In Mendocino County, the CHP reported that portions of Highway 101 – between northbound Highway 101 at Uva, just north of Redwood Valley, and southbound 101 at Browns Corner just south of Willits – was closed for a few hours due to snow on the Willits Grade. The closure was lifted at about 10 p.m., according to a CHP report.
In Napa County, 1 inch of snow was reportedly sticking to Highway 29 at the summit of Mount St. Helena, according to the CHP.
CHP reported shortly after 1 a.m. Friday that all Lake County roadways were open.
Caltrans' chain requirements on areas of Highways 29 and 175 in Lake County remained in effect early Friday.
For the latest on roadway conditions, visit Caltrans' Web site at www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi or call their information line at 800-427-7623.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
Harold LaBonte contributed to this report.
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LAKEPORT – It didn't exactly arrive in time for a "White Christmas," but snow began falling at lake level around 8 p.m. on Thursday evening, making road conditions hazardous in some parts of the county.
The snow was mixed with rain, with outdoor temperatures registering at 35 degrees and falling.
Other areas around Lakeport reported one-half inch of accumulation by 8 p.m. – along with numerous children out playing in the snow.
Unfortunately for the kids, school is already out of session this week so there's no chance of a "snow day."
The National Weather Service in Sacramento has issued a snow advisory which will be in effect until 2 a.m. Friday morning for elevations down to 500 feet with an 80-percent chance of precipitation overnight tonight.
Friday will see a 50-percent chance of precipitation with highs near 47, according to the National Weather Service.
E-mail Terre Logsdon at
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THE DRIVER'S AGE HAS BEEN CORRECTED BASED ON HIS BOOKING SHEET.
PARADISE COVE – California Highway Patrol officers arrested a Humboldt County truck driver for allegedly driving drunk Wednesday night after he flipped a semi truck carrying a load of frozen crab.
Mark Johnson, 50, of McKinleyville was taken into custody following the crash along Highway 20 just west of Paradise Cove, said CHP Officer Rob Hearn, the investigator at the scene.
Hearn said Johnson was under the influence of alcohol while driving the big rig and trailer, which went off the road and down a short embankment.
The crash was reported to the CHP Dispatch center at about 9:40 p.m., according to CHP incident logs.
While driving eastbound, Johnson flipped the truck while emerging from a sharp curve in the road. “Due to his intoxication he entered the curve too fast,” said Hearn.
That caused Johnson to lose control of the truck, with investigators suggesting that the trailer may have flipped first, taking the cab with it. Johnson reportedly received only minor injuries.
The truck's trailer was filled with frozen Dungeness crabs, said Hearn. The crabs were contained in the trailer, with no signs of any seafood on the roadway.
Less than a gallon of diesel fuel was spilled, with emergency personnel managing to contain the rest of the fuel, said Hearn. There were no environmental concerns as a result, he added.
CHP was assisted at the scene by an engine and crew from Northshore Fire Protection District and another engine from Cal Fire's Clearlake Oaks station.
A semi tow truck arrived at the scene shortly before 11 p.m. to begin the job of removing the truck's wreckage.
CHP managed to keep the road open, using flares and traffic control to guide vehicles past the crash, which officials said was a crime scene.
CHP reported at 11:44 p.m. that the trucking company could not get to the scene for cleanup for at least five hours, and that they planned to dispose of all the cargo.
Officials decided that the five-hour wait was not sufficient, so a Cal Fire inmate crew was called to clean up, arriving after 1 a.m. The trucking company will be billed for removing the truck and cargo from the scene.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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