Community Corner

CHP Prepared to Close a Snowed-In Hecker Pass if Danger Emerges

Drivers can take Highway 129 as an alternate route to Watsonville.

As many residents get ready for the Bay Area’s equivalent of a winter wonderland, the California Highway Patrol is preparing for the possibility of closing the mountainous Hecker Pass between Gilroy and Watsonville, according to Gilroy CHP spokesman Jaime Rios.

The pass crosses over Mount Madonna, 800 feet higher than the 1,000-foot snow line that many meteorologists anticipate tonight.

“We are prepared for possibly closing Hecker Pass, if necessary,” Rios said.

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While only light snowfall is expected, slippery “black ice” and steep roads could make the section of Highway 152 treacherous for drivers, he said.

Highway 129, less than 10 miles south on Highway 101, is unlikely to become icy and would be a good alternate if Hecker Pass is closed, said Rios.

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Snow chains, required on the drive wheels of the vehicle, could allow access if the road is icy. CHP officers will stop drivers on the pass and assist with chains if necessary, he said.

From the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Mt. Diablo range, from Sonoma Mountain to Mount Madonna, meteorologists predict snow will fall on anything above 1,000 feet Thursday night.

By Friday night, scattered precipitation could deliver snow at sea level in some spots—depending on when the really cold temperatures arrive. 

“It has to be the right combination of factors, in just the right sequence,” said Jan Null, meteorologist with Golden Gate Weather Service. “First, you need the cold air, then the precipitation, not just cold rain.”

The last time just the right combination came together was 35 years ago, on Feb. 5, 1976, when a broad cold front brought snow all over the Bay Area. Before that, Jan. 15, 1962, brought less than an inch, just a few months after President Obama was born.

The heaviest precipitation arrives in the Bay Area on Thursday and is predicted to be over before very cold air arrives that would bring snow lower. The best guess is only a 50:50 chance for snow at the lower altitudes, but you never know in the weather business.

“The temperatures are going to be bigger story after that,” said Null. He said he expects a hard freeze from Saturday morning to Sunday, with lots of 20-degree readings across bay.

A snowy tableau, of course, can be a powerful magnet. That’s how sheriffs deputies find the flatlanders heading for the hills to flex their snowball-throwing muscles—and getting their vehicles stuck when they pull off the road to play.

It also is treacherous for those who don’t have snowman-building-with-the-family on the agenda.

“We recommend you have a back-up plan if you go over mountains for your commute,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Anderson.

If driving conditions are hazardous, Caltrans often shuts down Highway 17 between Santa Cruz and Silicon Valley. Ditto for Mt. Hamilton rising on the opposite range above Silicon Valley. Authorities can shut the gate at Mt. Diablo Junction leading to Mt. Diablo.

Anderson just shakes his head when it comes to Sonoma County. “It's just going to be a mess Friday morning,” he said. “People will be trying to get over mountains, and they won't be able to get over.”

If you do find yourselves heading to the nearby hills, share your photos with Patch here.

Snow seekers, look here:

• Skyline Road in the East Bay hills, at 1,000 feet

• Mission Peak, at 2,200 feet

• Mt. Diablo, at 1,900 feet

• Mt. Madonna, at 1,800 feet

• Santa Cruz Mountains, from 1,000-3,000 feet

• Sonoma Mountain, at 2,400 feet


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