A snow plow travels the Hopland Grade Tuesday morning. Photo by John Jensen.

LAKE COUNTY – With snow falling in the higher elevations, commuters need to be prepared for adverse conditions as they travel area roads and highways.

The California Highway Patrol reports that Mount St. Helena is now closed due to snow, according to Josh Dye, public information officer for the Clear Lake CHP office. 

This afternoon, the county's Public Works Department reported that four-wheel drive and chains are required on Elk Mountain Road, Bartlett Springs Road, Bottle Rock Road and Gifford Springs Road.

As for area highways, at 3 p.m. Caltrans reported no delays or restrictions on Highway 175 over the Hopland Grade.

However, earlier in the day, due to the snowy condition across Highway 175 to Hopland, chains were required on all vehicles except those with both four-wheel-drive and snow tires on all wheels.

For those traveling along Highway 101, Caltrans reported chains or snow tires were required from seven miles north of the Sonoma/Mendocino County line to the junction of Highway 175 in Hopland. There also were chain requirements near Willits, Caltrans reported.

No traffic restrictions are reported for Highways 20, 29, 53 or 281, according to Caltrans.

Please use caution when driving, and be particularly cautious of ice on the roadways.

Lake County News will update you on any adverse changes in weather conditions.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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