Stretch of I-5 in California Remains Closed

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40-mile stretch of Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles remained closed on Tuesday as winter storms continued to dump snow and ice on the region.

I-5 is the main north-south route along the West Coast. The closing of the highway idled hundreds of truckers who did not want to turn around to take a detour looping around the mountains and through the desert, the Associated Press reported.

The California Highway Patrol closed the freeway early Monday and there was no immediate indication when it might be reopened, AP said.

The storms started over a week ago and have piled snow 9-feet deep on higher spots in the Sierra Nevada, soaked Los Angeles with record rainfall, caused mudslides and knocked out power to thousands of customers, the National Weather Service said.

Los Angeles has received 15.4 inches of rain since July 1, compared with a yearly average of 14.7 inches.

In central California, Highway 1, another major north-south route was closed at two points because of flooding and a mudslide near San Luis Obispo, Bloomberg reported.

However, in Northern California, Interstate 80 and Highway 50 were open Tuesday after being closed last week because of snow.