Blanket of New Snow Prompts Chain Requirements on Mountain Highways

Big Bear Valley, CA — Last night’s snowfall amounted to an inch or less here in the Big Bear Valley, but was just enough to blanket dirty snow berms with fresh, white powder and prompt chain requirements on our mountain roads. At present (8am, March 4), CalTrans has R2 chain requirements in place for Highways 18 and 330 down the front way, Highway 38 to Angelus Oaks, and on roads within the Big Bear Valley. R2 restrictions mean that two-wheel drive vehicles must have chains on, while four-wheel drive vehicles with snow tires on all four wheels must be carrying chains. The National Weather Service says that there may be reduced visibility on mountain roads this morning and, given potentially slick conditions, there was a five-vehicle accident on Highway 18 this morning. This pile-up was in the 7am hour, and occurred on Highway 18 just below Lakeview Point between the Arctic Circle and Snow Valley. That said, drivers are advised to proceed with caution and, again, R2 chain requirements are in place for Highway 18, west of the dam, Highways 38 and 330, and roads within the Big Bear Valley. There are no chain requirements for those traveling on Highway 18 east to Lucerne Valley. The City of Big Bear Lake has not reinstated Snow Conditions (which were lifted yesterday morning), so parking on city streets is allowed at this time. For changes to road specifics, see the KBHR Big Bear Road Conditions page.

Weekend Snowfall Prompts Chain Requirements for Mountain Highways, and Schedule Changes

Big Bear Valley, CA — Friday’s Winter Storm Warning did result in fresh snowfall here in the Big Bear Valley, with a powdered sugar-like dusting of snow to wake to both Saturday and Sunday mornings, and a few inches since yesterday (February 21) making for snow totals of around 104 inches for the season (average snowfall for an entire season tends to be 62 inches). The new snow has prompted chain requirements on some of our mountain roads, so for those traveling on Highways 18 and 330, west of the Big Bear Dam and down the front way, and for travelers taking Highway 38 over Onyx Summit and through Angelus Oaks, R2 chain requirements are in place. 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. Snowfall is expected to continue in the early parts of today (Monday), and dense fog and reduced visibility can be expected, so motorists—especially those taking the front way down the mountain—should proceed with caution. At present, there are no chain requirements for those taking Highway 18 the back way to Lucerne Valley. When conditions change, updates will be posted on the KBHR Big Bear Road Conditions page.
Weather-prompted schedule changes:
The San Bernardino County food distribution at Community Church by the Lake is not being offered this afternoon, given the weather. There are no plans to reschedule today’s food distribution, but we will let you know when the next scheduled opportunity will be available at Community Church. Update: As of 1pm, there will be food distribution after all (as volunteers went down the mountain to pick up the food when trucks didn’t come up due to snow). Distribution available until 2pm this afternoon.
The Healthy Start Collaborative meeting, to have been held at the Recreation and Park District offices at 2:30pm, has been canceled due to snow. The next meeting of the Healthy Start Collaborative will be held on March 15. For information, contact Tanya Perry at 585-6257.

Other community events that are happening include this evening’s free workshop for parents, offered by Common Ground. At 6:30pm, the parent support group will host a two-hour workshop titled “How Do I Make My Kid Behave? Understanding the Teenage Brain,” at Community Church by the Lake. For more info on this Monday evening series, call 801-1766.
On Tuesday at 1pm, Big Bear’s new Alzheimers support group for caregivers will meet at the Big Bear Senior Center. The group is now called Care Partners of Bear Valley, as caregivers for those with needs and issues beyond Alzheimers are now welcome to participate. For more information, call Mary Andresen at 585-7958.

It’s Official: The Amgen Tour of California to Cycle Into Big Bear on Highways 18, 38 on May 21

Big Bear Valley, CA — It’s official as of today: the 2010 Amgen Tour of California will be making its way from Pasadena to Big Bear on Friday, May 21st. The route for this, stage 6 of the eight-day race covering California and including the world’s top professional cyclists, including Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, Dave Zabriskie and George Hincapie, is the most challenging and is known as the queen stage. According to Andrew Mesick, president of race presenter AEG Sports, “The May timing of the 2010 edition of the Amgen Tour of California is going to allow us to visit some challenging new areas of California that previously were not possible due to the weather. The stage 6 route from Pasadena to Big Bear is the perfect example, with our first-ever mountain finish at a 7,000 foot elevation.”
Cyclists will begin their May 21 ride in front of Pasadena City Hall at 9:45am, and will ride 135 miles and climb more than 12,000 feet before reaching Snow Summit in Big Bear Lake in roughly the 3pm hour for the finish. The mountain portion of the route will include Highway 138 to Silverwood Lake before segueing onto Highway 18 above Crestline, through the Lake Arrowhead area, past Running Springs and along Arctic Circle to the Big Bear Dam, where riders will then take Highway 38 into Fawnskin, cross Stanfield Cutoff over Big Bear Lake, then take Sandalwood Drive (behind the Interlaken Center), Fox Farm Road, Garstin Drive, and then the final push, up Summit Boulevard to finish the race at Summit and Switzerland Drive.
The Tour of California is the largest cycling event in America, said to now be on par with the Tour de France, and it is expected that, given numbers from 2009’s fourth annual event, will reach an international audience of 3.5 billion. In a statement from County Supervisor Neil Derry, who this week appropriated $40,000 in funds to promote and stage the event, he said, “All eyes will be on San Bernardino County as we host the first mountaintop finish, and I am excited about the immediate economic impact and broader ability, to showcase our region as a great place to do business. Past host cities and surrounding regions have seen a noticeable impact in economic activity and we are hopeful to benefit from the same during these tough economic times.” In an effort to keep cycling enthusiasts and race fans in the Big Bear Valley through the weekend, local organizers will host the Tour de Big Bear on Saturday, May 22.

StormWatch in the Big Bear Valley: Road Closures, Emergency Shelter, and Relocation for Angelus Oaks Neighbors

A Big Bear Emergency Shelter is scheduled to open at Big Bear Middle School in Big Bear Lake today and, per Big Bear Lake City Manager Jeff Mathieu, the plan is to have the shelter open before dark. “We will have basic services and refreshments,” he tells KBHR, “and the shelter will be staffed by volunteers and Red Cross personnel, and under the guidance of the California Office of Emergency Services.” He notes that those in need of shelter from the cold, or those without electrical service will be welcomed on a first-come, first-served basis at Big Bear Middle School, located at 41275 Big Bear Boulevard in Big Bear Lake; the Jeffries Road entrance to the west will be open. The shelter is made possible by the cooperation of the Bear Valley Unified School District, the Big Bear Lake Fire Protection District and the City of Big Bear Lake. (Update: Shelter is open as of 5pm, and also has cots and basic provisions available.)
City Manager Mathieu also wants Valley residents to know that the City of Big Bear Lake has all emergency personnel and services deployed. Staff of the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station are assisting in the efforts of the City, while also responding to all 911 calls and covering for the California Highway Patrol, while they (CHP officers) are at the base of the mountain handling traffic and road closures. He also notes that Sheriff’s personnel, including the Citizens on Patrol volunteers, have been “incredible” during storm efforts.
In terms of road closures, Terri Kasinga of CalTrans tells KBHR this afternoon that Highway 38 will be closed for at least several days, due to 20’ snow drifts and packed snow above the guardrails, and yet limited manpower to address these issues. Given the Highway 38 closure, residents of both Angelus Oaks and Forest Falls are being removed from the area, via snowcats.
As for Highway 18 west of the Big Bear Dam, emergency personnel have cleared the roadway of all travelers stranded on the road. A giant snowblower is now being used to clear Highway 18 and the Arctic Circle of snow, and it is anticipated that Highway 18 “down the front way” will be re-opened to travelers early this evening. (Update: Highway 18 will remain closed tonight.)
Highway 18 east to the desert communities does remain open, and is the only route available in and out of the Big Bear Valley at this time. (Update: This being the case, congestion is heavy. Update as of 7pm: Closed for an indefinite period.) Highway 18 to Lucerne, and all roads within the Big Bear Valley, remain under an R3 chain requirement, meaning that all vehicles, including four-wheel drives with snow tires, must have chains on. As of this afternoon, those traveling to/from Fawnskin should note that the North Shore/Highway 38 is blocked at Canyon Road due to a downed tree. (Update: This has been cleared.) For updated road conditions, visit the Big Bear Road Conditions page.

Sheriff’s Coroner Division Investigating Two Unrelated Highway 18 Deaths Over the Holiday Period

Over the holiday period, there were two incidents, unrelated, in which vehicles were found on or near Highway 18, and the drivers were found deceased. On Tuesday, December 29, a county snowplow operator located a Jeep Liberty about 200 feet over the hillside, off the Old Waterman Canyon portion of Highway 18, west of the Crestline Cutoff. The driver, 53-year-old David Bokor of Crestline, was found deceased, alone in his vehicle. Bokor’s vehicle left the roadway for an unknown reason and, based on the evidence, California Highway Patrol officers noted, rolled several times, perhaps the day prior to being found; investigating Officer Edward Escalera of the CHP tells KBHR that the investigation was turned over to the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Station and, per the latest from Sheriff’s headquarters, a determination in the Bokor incident is pending a San Bernardino County Coroner’s report, which has not yet been released as of January 12.

In the early morning hours of Monday, January 4, Bear Valley Search and Rescue was called in to assist the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, after a CHP officer had found an empty Toyota Matrix parked on Lakeview Point in the Arctic Circle portion of Highway 18, just above Snow Valley. A check of the vehicle indicated that it belonged to 81-year-old Julius Tinsley of Arcadia who, per Arcadia Police Lieutenant Paul Foley, had been reported missing by his family on New Year’s Day. Neighbors of Tinsley had seen him outside his Arcadia residence in the evening hours of New Year’s Eve; it wasn’t until the 6am hour on January 4 that Tinsley’s body was located, about 300 feet over the embankment from Lakeview Point. Lieutenant Foley tells KBHR that there is no indication of foul play, and the Arcadia Police Department has been waiting on the San Bernardino County Coroner to determine a cause of death. An official with the coroner’s office tells KBHR today that, as of this week, Mr. Tinsley’s death has been ruled as accidental.
Update as of January 15: With regard to Mr. Bokor, the county coroner’s office tells KBHR that the manner of death will not be released, now, until lab results are made available. Bokor is survived by a sister and father.
As for Mr. Tinsley, the Arcadia Police Department tells KBHR that they have no reason to believe that his death was anything but accidental.

Bear Valley Search and Rescue and Sheriff’s Personnel in Recovery Effort Off Arctic Circle This Morning; Deceased Identified as 81-Year-Old Arcadia Resident

Bear Valley Search and Rescue volunteers got an early start this morning, as they have been assisting the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in locating a missing individual off Highway 18 in the Arctic Circle area. At about 1:15am this morning, January 4, a California Highway Patrol officer located an empty vehicle, parked at Lakeview Point on Highway 18. A check of the vehicle indicated that it belongs to a person listed as missing, though that individual’s name and place of residence have not yet been released by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. At 3:43am, search and rescue teams were called in, and have since used over-the-side rope repelling procedures to look for the missing person, whose body was found over the steep embankment at 6:19am today. Sheriff’s helicopters are assisting in recovery operations, and the San Bernardino County Coroner has been notified. Pending identification and contact to family, the name of the deceased will be released.
Update: Recovery efforts wrapped just before noon today, and the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office has identified the deceased as 81-year-old Julius Tinsley of Arcadia, California, the man who had been reported missing to the Arcadia Police Department on January 1. Mr. Tinsley’s body was found about 300 feet over the steep embankment from Lakeview Point and though the incident is believed to have been accidental, the Arcadia Police Department will investigate the matter.

Filming on Arctic Circle Prompts Additional Delays on Highway 18

In addition to ongoing delays at the Big Bear dam for those motorists taking Highway 18 west of Big Bear Lake, intermittent delays of five minutes are possible on Arctic Circle this afternoon [Monday, December 21]. According to CalTrans, filming is taking place on this portion of Highway 18 (again, west of the dam and along Arctic Circle to Lakeview Point en route to Running Springs), so five minute delays are possible; the ongoing midweek, non-holiday delays at the dam are to accommodate the Big Bear bridge project, scheduled for completion in 2011. (Other routes from the Big Bear Valley include Highway 18 east toward the desert communities and Highway 38 through Angelus Oaks to Mentone and the Redlands area.) Updated road conditions for our area are available on KBHR’s Big Bear Road Conditions page.

Ski Resorts Receive Up to a Foot of Snow Over Holiday Weekend; R2 Chain Requirements in Effect for All Mountain Roads

The holiday weekend brought us eight inches of snow here in the Big Bear Valley, and though sunny skies are expected today (Monday), the National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for the San Bernardino mountains. This Wind Advisory, in effect through this afternoon, means that winds of 35 miles per hour are expected, and these northeast winds could result in gusts up to 50 miles per hour across the mountains and through passes, making driving potentially difficult, especially for those in high profile vehicles.
And, as for driving, all highways to, from and within most of the Big Bear Valley, including Highways 18, 330 and 38 are under an R2 chain requirement, per CalTrans. (Portions of the North Shore have an R1 requirement, which requires chains unless you have snow tires.) R2 conditions mean 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. If not using or carrying chains as required, you could be ticketed and fined $108, per the California Highway Patrol. If putting chains on your vehicle, be sure you are safely out of the roadway before doing so. Also, as snow conditions are in effect, be sure that your vehicle is not parked in the street and blocking snowplow operations. Vehicles blocking snowplows in the City of Big Bear Lake are subject to ticketing and/or towing. [Update as of 10am hour, November 30: Per CalTrans, there are no longer chain requirements for any roads in our area. Update as of 11am hour, December 1: Snow conditions are no longer in effect, so parking on city streets is once again allowed.]
At the resorts, both Bear Mountain and Snow Summit, new snow accumulation reached up to 12 inches over the weekend so, coupled with snowmaking operations, both ski resorts have a snow depth of 18 to 24 inches. Snow Summit, which opened for Thanksgiving Day, now has three chair lifts open, and both resorts offer half-day session, starting at noon, with early season rates in effect for both mountains.

Highway 18 Road Work Continues; Red Ant Hill Project Scheduled to Wrap Soon

Here’s an update on our roads: Continued delays can be expected on Highway 18 west of the Big Bear Dam. CalTrans crews will continue into December on the Highway 18 pavement rehabilitation project, which accounts for delays up to 20 minutes on weekdays, as traffic is being escorted by pilot car in the area between Lakeview Point on Arctic Circle down to the Highway 330 junction in Running Springs. These delays of 20 minutes on Highway 18 are in addition to possible delays at the Big Bear Dam, to accommodate construction of the new Big Bear bridge, and this will continue into 2011. The City of Big Bear Lake’s Red Ant Hill sidewalk installation project on Big Bear Boulevard should be completed by Thanksgiving, so motorists can expect continued weekday flagging on Red Ant Hill, just west of the Village from Modoc Drive west to Mill Creek, in the meantime. The majority of the sidewalk project is expected to be completed this week but, should it continue, there will be no work or subsequent flagging on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, nor over the holiday weekend. And, if traveling off the mountain this weekend, know that the 210 Freeway will be closed to eastbound traffic on Saturday, November 21. Westbound lanes on the 210 will be subject to rolling closures, to accommodate the filming of a motion picture, while eastbound lanes will be closed between Sierra Avenue in Fontana and Ayala Drive in Rialto, from 11am to 9pm. Detours on streets in the area will be provided for those unable to proceed east on the 210 Freeway this Saturday. There is no scheduled roadwork for Highway 18 en route to the desert communities or on Highway 38. Road information for the Big Bear Valley can also be accessed on the KBHR Roads Page.

Rocks Cleared from Roadway; Highway 18 Re-Opens After Midnight

Highway 18 had been closed at the Big Bear Dam yesterday evening, after an unanticipated volume of rock fell during a blasting excavation for the Big Bear bridge project. CalTrans crews closed Highway 18 for cleanup and safety evaluations, which resulted in the closure of the roadway until after midnight. The road is open at this time [morning, November 11], though motorists can expect delays, despite the Veterans Day holiday, as the pavement rehabilitation project continues, from Lakeview Point on Arctic Circle to the Highway 330 junction in Running Springs. Those taking Highway 18 the front way can expect delays up to 20 minutes through the Snow Valley area, as traffic will be escorted by pilot car. There is no roadwork planned for Highway 38 or Highway 18 toward the desert communities this week, so those routes should be free of delays.

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