Truckers to face Southwest smorgasbord of weather

Truckers will hit virtually every type of disruptive weather Wednesday in many spots from Texas to California.

First, pockets of freezing rain and snowfall will make roads extra slick from El Paso, Texas, westward to portions of New Mexico and Arizona. Major accumulations are not likely, but it could be just enough to slow down drivers or force them to find other routes. This will impact travel on sections of Interstates 10 and 40.

Next, heavy rainfall will soak parts of southern Arizona and southern California. Totals of 2 to 3 inches could cause flash flooding along I-8, from Yuma, Arizona, to El Centro, California, as well as areas of I-10 around Palm Springs, California.

Finally, high winds will make driving difficult for truckers in the San Diego area, in addition to parts of the Los Angeles area, on I-5, I-8 and I-15. This has been a problem for the past day or two, with gusts exceeding 80 mph in some high elevations. Gusts Wednesday of 60 to 80 mph will make deadheading (hauling an empty van) or carrying light loads risky in spots such as El Cajon, Escondido, Anaheim and Riverside. Gusts will reach 45 mph from downtown San Diego to San Clemente.