CHP closes Highway 58 over Tehachapi Pass. Caltrans suggests this alternate route

The big snowstorm striking the Sierra Nevada on Wednesday night shut down Highway 58 over Tehachapi Pass, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The closure shut down the main route from the Central San Joaquin Valley to Las Vegas.

The CHP reported that the roadway was a mess of jackknifed big rigs and spun-out cars.

It was not known when the highway would reopen.

The City of Tehachapi advised residents that the winter storm warning would remain in effect until 11 p.m. Thursday. Heavy snow accumulating as much as 13 inches and wind gusts as high as 35 mph were in the forecast.

“Travel could be very difficult to impossible,” the notification from the City of Tehachapi reads.

The California Department of Transportation suggested that Highway 178 was a possible alternate route for eastbound travelers, but cautioned that chains would be needed for most vehicles.

CalTrans did not mention whether four-wheel drive vehicles would be exempt from the chain requirement.

This story was originally published February 22, 2023 at 8:33 PM.