Snow temporarily shuts down Highway 154, strands drivers near Santa Barbara
Update, 3:15 p.m.:
Highway 154 is reopened in both directions, according to Caltrans.
Caltrans maintenance teams used plows and a sander to clear the roadway of snow and disperse sand. The agency asks the public to not pull over to look at the snow in order to keep traffic flowing.
Original story:
Highway 154 in Santa Barbara County was closed Thursday afternoon due to snow, according to Caltrans.
The highway was closed between Highway 246 and Highway 192, Caltrans District 5 tweeted just before 1 p.m.
There was no estimated time for reopening.
Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman Mike Eliason said snow falling near the 2,200-foot summit of San Marcos Pass on the highway “caught drivers off guard, briefly stranding them until Caltrans plows could clear the highway.”
An unusually frigid winter storm dropped rarely seen snow across the Central Coast on Thursday, including places throughout San Luis Obispo County.
More cold weather and rain are in the forecast through Friday night.
This story was originally published February 23, 2023 at 2:16 PM.
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