December 17, 2008 Snowmageddon

 I was workin for Caltrans, about 45 miles south on the 15, at the top of the mountain. We went to work at 6 am on the 17th, snow started at 10 am. Las Vegas Paving was working on the road, and had detours up. It didn't stop snowing all day and and night. We worked 27 straight hours to keep the road open. We lost it about noon, and were behind until it stopped about 18 hours after it started. At 6 pm the relief crew from Needles, couldn't get up to us, because the road was closed, so we worked another 12, and others went home to be the day crew. I was plowing with a CHP officer, retrieving people from stranded cars for about 8 or so hours during the night and into early morning. We got two and half feet of snow at Mountain Pass, which is the top of the mountain. 15 was snowed in all the way from Cajon Pass, to the state line (Primm). 40 was shut down because of snow at EB Barstow, and WB at Goffs, and 95 was shut down at Searchlight. Up on the mountain the snow was deep, but it was like this snow down at Primm. All of the approaches from the south to Vegas were closed for about 18 Hours. Our road was opened back up about noon on the 18th. other parts of the road weren't so lucky. On the 15, we were the first piece opened that had been closed. I worked 27 hours, went home slept for 5 hours, went into Vegas, to cash my check, then went back to a 12 hour shift, plowing, because it began snowing again. We got ahead of it, and stayed there.