Up to 5 inches of snow fell over the Southern California mountains, shutting down a major highway, the California Highway Patrol said.

Heavy snow on Interstate 5 forced officials to close it between Gorman and Frazier Mountain Park Road, at least through Friday morning.

The highway had traffic backups for miles Thursday evening before all vehicles were cleared, the Los Angeles Times reported.

In the Angeles National Forest, Mountain High Resort in Wrightwood reported 3-5 inches of snow and Running Springs in San Bernardino County reported 4 inches, the National Weather Service said.

Along the coast, high tides and strong winds Friday morning could cause minor flooding in low-lying areas, forecasters said.

Looking at a broader weather picture, AccuWeather.com said part of the United States is targeted for a cold wave during the second half of January as waves of frigid air move southward across North America from the North Pole.

Forecasters said the timing and location of the cold conditions is uncertain but they expected to see cold air spreading from central Canada into the third week of January.

"The indications are that the initial thrust of the cold will be directed over the West and northern Plains first, with subsequent thrusts of cold air pointed toward the Northeast and the Upper Midwest later in January and into February," said Paul Pastelok, a long-range weather expert with AccuWeather.com

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