I-5 · CA
Los Angeles to San Francisco drive weather
Los Angeles, CA to San Francisco, CA · 382 miles, about 5 h 42 min by the planner's route
Also covers the drive back from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
The fastest drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco crosses Tejon Pass on I-5, drops down the Grapevine into the San Joaquin Valley, and follows I-5 north before turning west to the Bay Area. Snow at the pass is what most often stops the drive: Caltrans says snow and ice close the Grapevine fully an average of 3 to 5 times between October and April.
Plan this drive with your own departure timeConditions at Fri, 12:00 AM PST
Highest risk along I-5: 1 of 5 (low), departing at that time.
- No active NWS alerts on this route.
The road authority linked below has the final word on closures and chain requirements.
Clear driving for the whole 5 h 42 min.
Conditions: Clear, Clear with periodic clouds, Partly cloudy and more
Checkpoints along I-5
| Where | You pass | Weather | Risk | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | Fri 1:00 AM | 61°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Stevenson Ranch, CA | Fri 1:30 AM | 56°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Lebec, CA | Fri 2:00 AM | 49°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Greenfield, CA | Fri 2:30 AM | 48°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Buttonwillow, CA | Fri 3:00 AM | 46°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Kettleman City, CA | Fri 3:30 AM | 46°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Coalinga, CA | Fri 4:00 AM | 49°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Firebaugh, CA | Fri 4:30 AM | 50°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Los Banos, CA | Fri 5:00 AM | 48°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Patterson, CA | Fri 5:30 AM | 49°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Livermore, CA | Fri 6:00 AM | 49°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Piedmont, CA | Fri 6:30 AM | 52°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| San Francisco, CA | Fri 6:41 AM | 56°F | low | Nothing flagged |
Weather to know about on this drive
- Tejon Pass is at 4,144 ft. Caltrans starts Operation Snowflake when forecasters expect heavy snow at 4,500 ft or lower; once snow sticks, the CHP paces traffic over the pass, and if that is not enough I-5 closes.
- Grapevine closures typically last 4 to 6 hours and some last more than 24. Neither the CHP nor Caltrans forecasts a reopening time.
- Detours depend on the closure phase: SR-58 and SR-166 first, then SR-166 alone, then SR-46 and SR-41 to US-101, and in the worst storms none at all.
- Four NWS offices cover the drive: Los Angeles (through the Grapevine), Hanford (the southern San Joaquin Valley), Sacramento (the northern valley) and San Francisco Bay Area. This page shows alerts from all four.
Official sources for every state on the route
- Caltrans QuickMap
- Caltrans Grapevine closure guide (Operation Snowflake)
- NWS Los Angeles
- NWS Hanford
- NWS Sacramento
- NWS San Francisco Bay Area
Mountain passes and corridors on this drive
Questions about driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco
- What is the weather like driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco in winter?
- Usually wet or dry rather than snowy, except at Tejon Pass on the Grapevine, where Caltrans counts 3 to 5 full snow closures in an average October-to-April season. The valley stretch is covered by NWS Hanford and Sacramento, which issue their own advisories. Check each stretch for the hour you will be on it.
- Which part of the drive is most affected by weather?
- The Grapevine over Tejon Pass. When snow sticks the CHP escorts traffic, and when that is not enough I-5 closes, with northbound traffic stopped at Lake Hughes Road. Caltrans QuickMap shows the current status.
Conditions change by the hour. This page is a planning aid built on public forecasts and DOT feeds; the road authorities linked above have the final word on closures and chain requirements.
Traveling for the holiday? Read Thanksgiving travel weather · all holiday drives · winter road conditions by corridor