Eastbound I-80 closed in the Sierra due to multiple spinouts Friday evening
GOLD RUN - Caltrans was holding all traffic on Interstate 80 in the Sierra as snow hit the area, leading to multiple spinouts Friday evening.
Traffic already began slowing down at around 5:45 p.m. from Gold Run through Donner Summit.
"When we got closer, the GPS got red and we knew we were stuck," Yana Friedman said of her and her son, Theo.
Before 7:45 p.m., eastbound I-80 traffic was closed at Baxter but westbound was released.
Chain controls have been in effect for all vehicles except for vehicles with snow tires in the Sierra for most of Friday evening and night, including Highway 50 and I-80.
"We made it through that initial ascent and then all of a sudden things just stopped," Yana Friedman said.
The mother and son pair were heading up to Palisades Tahoe this weekend but decided to wait it out for a few hours.
"That guy is letting us stay here for two hours until 80 reopens," Theo Friedman said Friday evening. "We're hoping it's not two hours."
Tara Wickman is a dispatcher for Five Star Towing in Gold Run.
Friday night was supposed to be the calm before the storm, but that turned out to not be the case. Still, they anticipate Sunday to be the brunt of it.
"I'll be spending almost all that time on the phone," Wickman said. "My drivers will be sitting in their trucks waiting for me to tell them where to go."
If you're heading up the mountain, our meteorologists suggest the best conditions will be from Friday night until Saturday at 9 p.m. The worst times are anticipated to be 9 p.m. through Sunday night.
Meanwhile, Wickman is now urging caution so they don't have to save you.
"When you come up here, this is definitely not a joke," Wickman said. "This road is dangerous, especially in the snow and the rain."
For the latest highway conditions, click here.
