Rain moving into the Santa Clarita Valley this weekend has convinced public works officials to shut down a section of Bouquet Canyon Road.
“Based on the forecast of rain, snow and icy road conditions in local mountain areas, Los Angeles County Public Works will close public access to a portion of Bouquet Canyon Road located within the Angeles National Forest,” Public Works spokeswoman Cynthia James said in a news release issued Friday.
The closure will begin at 5 p.m. Sunday and remain in effect through 10 a.m. Monday, or until county officials have inspected the road and declared it safe for motorists.
Local access between the gates at 6 miles south of Spunky Canyon Road — near Mile Marker 12.55 — and the southern boundary of the Angeles National Forest, near Mile Marker 15.97, 2 miles north of Vasquez Canyon Road, will not be allowed until the closure is lifted.
Residents, business owners and people with access or with functional needs may also call 211 for L.A. County information and referral services regarding post-disaster resources that are available to those affected by floods, debris and mudflow, James said, noting the toll-free 211 number is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
Officials with the National Weather Service have forecast a 40 percent chance of showers, likely to begin about 10 a.m. Saturday and continue into Sunday.
Temperatures for each of those is expected to reach into the mid-50s, with a low each night of 43F.
While night temps are not near freezing, officers with the California Highway Patrol are ready to shut down Interstate 5 through the Grapevine if rain turns to snow at the higher altitudes.
“The forecast as of right now does not look like the grapevine will get any snow,” CHP Officer Josh Greengard said.
Operation Snowflake, which involves shutting down lanes through the Grapevine at Parker Road in Castaic, would happen if it starts to snow.
“If that call does come out,” Greengard said, “the operation happens very quick and we will try and notify you as soon as possible.”
The Los Angeles County Health Department issued their own news release about the weather this week when temps hit the freezing mark.
Wind chill temperatures, they reported, were expected to be below 32 degrees Fahrenheit in areas that included:
- Antelope Valley – Thursday, Jan. 3 through Monday, Jan. 7
- Los Angeles County Mountain areas – Thursday, Jan. 3 through Monday, Jan.7
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