BAKERSFIELD, Calif (KBFX/KBAK) With Kern County bracing for more high winds, rain, and snow, travelers are still trying to reach their destinations — though some are already running into weather-related concerns.
At Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield, some passengers reported delays.
Janice Borowy said, “Yeah, we have a delay now. I’m going into Denver, and we got about a 45-minute delay. I compensated for it in my planning.”
Kern County braces for more storms that could impact businesses (KBAK/KBFX)
Other travelers said their trips were going more smoothly.
Asked if he was having any issues with his flight, Michael Brown said, “No, not delays are anything like that, no.”
Near the base of the Grapevine, snow-capped mountains and dark, low-hanging clouds were visible as the storm approached.
One traveler, Brandon Followill, who works for a trucking company and was headed to Chino Hills, said he was concerned that a closure of the pass could affect operations at the trucking company he works for.
“Well, with the snow coming in – you know, dangerous road conditions, if they have an accident, or if the pass closes and we can’t get through, it affects the customers we haul for,” Followill said.
Followill said his company hauls parts for different customers, and a closure could ripple through deliveries.
“If they don’t open it soon enough, our drivers will run out of operating hours. They’ll have to turn around and go back home, and then the customers won’t get their parts. So, it’ll impact multiple people down the line,” he said.
California Highway Patrol Officer DC Williams said officers will work to keep traffic moving during the storm,
Kern County braces for more storms that could impact businesses (KBAK/KBFX)
“We try to keep traffic flowing to keep the road surface warm. That helps prevent the ice buildup,” Williams said.
Williams said crashes and stalled vehicles can quickly make conditions worse.
Kern County braces for more storms that could impact businesses (KBAK/KBFX)
“Say there’s an instance where we have to stop traffic for a bit, that ice can build up really fast. And then that means we have to turn traffic around, we have to shut things down, get Caltrans out there with their scraper,” he said.