Tire chain costs hit all-time high Northern California gears up for another winter storm
PLACER COUNTY -- The latest weather system has come and gone, but Caltrans is already gearing up for more snow expected in just a few days. With winter driving conditions setting in, the cost of tire chains is at an all-time high.
On Wednesday, traffic on the eastbound lanes of I-80 near Cisco Grove was at a standstill after a crash just a mile before the chain control checkpoint.
Andrew Pell, an employee at the shell station in Nyack, says he unloaded a massive shipment of tire chains ahead of the winter weather.
"We're always stocked up for winter here. Our whole backroom back there is just chains, chains, chains," Pell said.
Over the past ten years, Pell says chains have gotten more expensive. A pack now will cost you around $100, and for those who want them put on properly, a professional installation adds on another $40.
"It's slowly been climbing up for sure, when I first started I think it was around $60 to $70," Pell said.
With more stormy weather on the way, Pell and chain installers up the mountain are bracing for a wave of unprepared travelers.
Caltrans says it is treating this next round of snow like any other storm. Crews spent much of the day Wednesday making repairs to trucks so they will be prepared to hit the road over the next few days.