With millions hitting the road this Christmas week, the California Highway Patrol reminds drivers to take safety precautions.
"Especially on the Grapevine, you know, everybody has to come through here to go up north or down south, so, you know, we're aware that this is a very busy area. With the heavy rain, we do have, sometimes we have rivers running across our freeway. Sometimes, you might not see that," explains Officer Adriaan Garcia, with the California Highway Patrol at Fort Tejon.
Inclement weather and heavy traffic mean people should slow down and prepare for the unexpected.
That includes closures, crashes and incidents like a Tuesday morning semi-truck fire, which caused an hour-long delay.
"So we are asking for patience," encourages Officer Garcia.
Truck drivers are also gearing up for the high winds.
Tulare local, Michael Ballard, has been driving a semi-truck since the 80s.
He has traveled across every state, so he's no stranger to dangerous conditions, but remembers the first time he encountered high winds on the Grapevine.
"I was scared out of my pants. It was all white knuckles," recalls Michael.
He encourages truck drivers to double-check their tires and brakes before hitting the road.
"Give us plenty of space, do not cut in front of us," he said. "Then something could happen, you know, especially if you have to hit your brakes. Then we have to hit ours, but we can't stop quicker, especially going downhill."
The CHP says most crashes they see are speed-related, so the best thing you can do is slow down.
If you're caught in heavy rain, the CHP says it may be safer to pull over and wait for the storm to pass.
For road information and current closures, visit here.
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