CHP: Highway 17 shutdown possible due to snow

With snow expected on Highway 17 overnight, the Santa Cruz-area California Highway Patrol is preparing for a messy morning.

CHP expects between four and ten in the morning to be the most chaotic, as bad weather competes with the busy morning commute, making an already accident-prone stretch of road even more dangerous.

CHP Officer Sam Courtney says this last weekend, troopers responded to about 31 accidents on Highway 17 alone.

“Highway 17 is probably one of our main concerns because it’s the most traveled roadway over the Santa Cruz Mountains,” he said “And its elevation at the top is somewhere around 1,800 feet, so we’re definitely in the snow area.”

CHP and Caltrans will be out all night long. If snow sticks and there is a lot of it, they may be forced to shutdown the highway entirely. It would be bad news for those who use the roadway every day.

“I will have to go either south down to Watsonville or up highway… Half Moon Area over 82,” said Charles Gulledge, a Scotts Valley resident.

“A lot of our drivers in this area aren’t necessarily prepared for the snow,” said Courtney. “We’re not used to carrying chains and doing all that you would see in the Sierras.”

And that is a major concern for CHP. Courtney says there are other things to remember on top of your usual safe driving rules.

“Make sure your car has enough fuel and make sure you pack some warm clothing, and most importantly, slow down,” he said.

Caltrans does have equipment for clearing snow. It is actually the same machinery used to removed mudslides and debris. For now, both CHP and commuters are waiting to see just how bad it gets.

“Well I mean, I actually do have a four wheel drive with snow tires, which is good enough for Tahoe, but if they close 17, then it’s closed,” said Nathan Grossman, another Scotts Valley resident.

CHP says you should check their website for traffic conditions before your morning commute. You can also watch KION’s Wake Up with Barry Brown starting at 5 a.m. for the latest weather conditions as well.