A car drives through snowfall in Yosemite National Park on Feb. 22, 2023. | Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Police are asking people to stop playing in the snow on a dangerous highway that connects Santa Cruz to San Jose.
Highway 17, a windy road that accounts for well over 100 accidents every year, is not the place to build a snowman, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The agency issued a warning on its Facebook page Sunday night, shortly before accidents on both sides of the highway temporarily forced some lanes to close, according to the CHP.
🚨TRAFFIC ALERT 🚨 Please avoid the area of SR-17 at El Rancho Rancho Rd. Crashes are on both sides and the roadway is wet, please slow down. pic.twitter.com/V4CXbTQ3QX
A cold run of weather in California has brought snow to unusual places in the past week, drawing crowds of people searching for a local winter wonderland.
The conditions have closed down Highway 17 several times in recent weeks.
Both sides of the highway are open as of 10:15 p.m. Sunday, but authorities continue to advise caution as ongoing rainstorms create slippery conditions.
