A series of avalanches earlier today prompted the closure of Arctic Circle on Highway 18. Terri Kasinga of CalTrans tells KBHR, “We have a lot of avalanches in the Arctic Circle area, several of them 10 feet tall.” These snow slides had trapped several vehicles on the roadway this morning, though CalTrans reports that all had been attended to by 9am. The A.J. Acosta Company has, as of this afternoon, been hired by CalTrans to clear Arctic Circle of snow. This is the same Big Bear Lake-based company that CalTrans hired to clear Little Arctic Circle in December, when Highway 18 had been closed due to extreme snowfall and vehicle collisions involving large trucks. Per CalTrans, motorists should not expect the re-opening of Highway 18, west of the dam, today.
