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LET’S GO NOW TO LIVE TRACKER THREE ON THE ROADS THIS MORNING. KCRA 3’S ERIN HEFT IS IN KINGVALE THIS MORNING. AND ERIN, YOU’RE REALLY SEEING THE SNOW THIS MORNING. YES WE ARE. WE ACTUALLY HOPPED OUT OF LIVE TRACKER THREE BECAUSE. SO INTERESTING. WE HAVE CHAIN CONTROLS IN EFFECT. THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING AT DOWN THE WAY A LOT OF SEMI TRUCKS PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF INTERSTATE 80. LIKE YOU SAID, WE’RE IN KINGVALE. IT’S A VERY SHORT STRETCH OF CHAIN CONTROL. BUT JUST BE AWARE IT IS IN EFFECT. AND ALSO IF YOU’RE SOMEONE WHO HAS ALL OF THE TREAD ON YOUR TIRES AND EVERYTHING APPROPRIATE, MAYBE YOU DON’T NEED CHAINS BECAUSE YOU HAVE THOSE APPROPRIATE TIRES OR YOU PUT THEM ON YOURSELF. CHAINS. THAT IS GREAT. BUT ALSO JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE ARE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE CHAIN INSTALLERS THAT DO THIS SEVERAL MONTHS OUT OF EVERY SINGLE YEAR, AND YOU’RE GOING TO WANT TO SLOW DOWN AND TAKE PRECAUTION BECAUSE THEY’RE OUT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WE ACTUALLY TALKED TO CHRIS LOTITO. HE’S BEEN DOING THIS FOR 50. YES, FIVE ZERO YEARS. HE’S 70 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR. TAKE A LISTEN TO HIS ADVICE. YOU ENTER A CHAIN CONTROL AREA. LEGALLY, THE SPEED LIMIT IS 30 MILES AN HOUR. WE RECOMMEND 2530, TOPS. CHAINS AREN’T MADE TO GO ANY FASTER ANYWAY, AND IT’S NOT SO MUCH HOW FAST YOU CAN GO. IT’S HOW QUICK YOU CAN STOP. SO THE SLOWER YOU GO, THE EASIER IT IS TO STOP AND AVOID COLLISIONS. YEP, HE’S PREACHING SAFETY, WHICH SHOULD BE EVERYONE’S TOP OF MIND. THAT IS OVER 30 MILES AN HOUR. DON’T BE SOMEONE WHO’S SPEEDING THROUGH THIS ZONE, BECAUSE IF I WALK SLOWLY, YOU’LL SEE YOU’RE GOING TO MEET CALTRANS. AND YOU’RE ALSO GOING TO MEET CHP UP HERE. AND THEY’RE GOING TO ALSO BE MAKING SURE THAT YOU’RE TAKING PRECAUTION. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT CHAINS. YOU ARE ONLY GOING 30 MILES AN HOUR OR LOWER. AND THEY’LL ALSO BE THE PEOPLE TO RESPOND IF YOU SPIN OUT OR HAVE A CAR CRASH. SO PLEASE JUST KEEP TAKING PRECAUTION. AND ALSO, CHRIS WENT ON TO SAY THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE WATER IN THE CAR, THE APPROPRIATE CLOTHING IN THE CAR, AND PATIENCE, BECAUSE SOMETIMES INTERSTATE 80 DOES SHUT DOWN, HAVE GLOVES, HAVE THE RIGHT SHOES. DON’T BE US. TODAY WE THOUGHT WE MIGHT BE IN VALLEY RAIN. SIKE! WE’RE IN SIERRA SNOW AND THAT IS SOMETHING. JUST TO KEEP IN MIND. LIFE AND THINGS CHANGE. LETICIA. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SAY HI TO CHRIS. HE’S BEEN
Chain controls return to Sierra as Sunday morning snow slows I-80
Veteran chain installer shares safety tips as Caltrans checks cars snowfall blankets the summit before ski season.
Updated: 11:48 AM PST Nov 16, 2025
On a KCRA3 Weather Impact Day in the Sierra, chain controls greeted drivers before dawn over the Interstate 80 summit, slowing traffic as snow tucked the mountains in ahead of Thanksgiving.“I coined the term: make sure you bring your patience. You’ll need it,” said Chris Lotito, who has spent 50 years installing chains on the side of the interstate. His advice for winter travel is simple and strict: “Always bring your chains with you, always make sure you have a full tank of gas, because sometimes the road may be closed for a little while and you want to stay warm, bring a blanket or two and always bring water.”Caltrans crews were out checking for chains, tires, and four-wheel drive as ice and snow covered the roadway. In chain control areas, the speed limit is 30 mph. “We recommend 25–30 tops,” Lotito said. “Chains are not made to go any faster anyway, and it’s not so much how fast you can go, it’s how quick you can stop. So the slower you go, the easier it is to stop and avoid collisions.”Some drivers were caught off guard by the early blast. “I just came from Sacramento, so I was just coming to visit some friends,” said Alvin Ho, behind the wheel of his Prius Sunday morning. “They told me to expect it, but I’ve never really driven in snow, so this is my first time.”Lotito noted that traffic remains manageable for now, but that won’t last. “It’s a little early for heavy traffic because the ski resorts aren’t open yet. Once they open, this road turns into a nightmare as far as waiting and waiting and waiting.”For now, the message is to prepare, slow down and take in the view. “Just be careful up here, look how beautiful it is before Thanksgiving,” Lotito said.Here’s what drivers should bring:Tire chains and know-how to install themFull tank of gasBlankets and warm clothingWater and basic suppliesExtra time and patienceSee more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
On a KCRA3 Weather Impact Day in the Sierra, chain controls greeted drivers before dawn over the Interstate 80 summit, slowing traffic as snow tucked the mountains in ahead of Thanksgiving.
“I coined the term: make sure you bring your patience. You’ll need it,” said Chris Lotito, who has spent 50 years installing chains on the side of the interstate.
His advice for winter travel is simple and strict: “Always bring your chains with you, always make sure you have a full tank of gas, because sometimes the road may be closed for a little while and you want to stay warm, bring a blanket or two and always bring water.”
Caltrans crews were out checking for chains, tires, and four-wheel drive as ice and snow covered the roadway. In chain control areas, the speed limit is 30 mph.
“We recommend 25–30 tops,” Lotito said. “Chains are not made to go any faster anyway, and it’s not so much how fast you can go, it’s how quick you can stop. So the slower you go, the easier it is to stop and avoid collisions.”
Some drivers were caught off guard by the early blast.
“I just came from Sacramento, so I was just coming to visit some friends,” said Alvin Ho, behind the wheel of his Prius Sunday morning. “They told me to expect it, but I’ve never really driven in snow, so this is my first time.”
Lotito noted that traffic remains manageable for now, but that won’t last
. “It’s a little early for heavy traffic because the ski resorts aren’t open yet. Once they open, this road turns into a nightmare as far as waiting and waiting and waiting.”
For now, the message is to prepare, slow down and take in the view. “Just be careful up here, look how beautiful it is before Thanksgiving,” Lotito said.
Here’s what drivers should bring:
- Tire chains and know-how to install them
- Full tank of gas
- Blankets and warm clothing
- Water and basic supplies
- Extra time and patience
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
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