Dozens Trapped in Ortega Highway Snow Storm

About three dozen vehicles, some with people in them, were stuck overnight and awaiting rescue at midmorning today on State Route 74, the Ortega Highway, in eastern Orange County.

Snow made the Ortega Highway treacherous and impassable starting at about 10 p.m. Monday, said California Highway Patrol Officer Denise Quesada.

The winding two-lane road tops out at about 3,300 feet in elevation between San Juan Capistrano and Lake Elsinore. The closure affected about 20 miles of highway between Nichols Roads, near San Juan Capistrano, and Grand Avenue at Lake Elsinore.

Helicopters and search and rescue crews where checking the mountain route to determine which vehicles were occupied and which were not, Quesada said.

No medical emergencies have been reported, she added.

• City News Service
• Photo Credit: Twitter user KnightfromABC2 ‏@Knightfromabc2