CalTrans crews worked through the night to clear the Arctic Circle portion of Highway 18 of avalanche snow, though the road is still not open to motorists. More crews from off the mountain will be assisting in snow removal this morning and until the roadway is safe and clear. There is no estimated re-open time yet for Highway 18, west of the Big Bear Dam, and no promises that it will indeed be re-opened today. In the meantime, Highway 18 east to Lucerne Valley and Highway 38 do remain open, and are under an R2 chain requirement, as all are roads within the Big Bear Valley. R2 means that you must have chains on the drive wheels of your vehicle, unless in a four-wheel drive with snow tires on all four wheels and carrying chains. Update: Per CalTrans, Highway 18, from the Big Bear Dam to Snow Valley, will not be open to motorists until at least Friday, February 20. For more information on avalanches on the Arctic Circle, tune in to KBHR 93.3 FM in the 5 o’clock hour today, as Terri Kasinga of CalTrans joins Kat Sawyer for “Tuned In on the Bear.”
Additional Information on Big Bear Roads
