Big Bear Lake, CA — Given fresh snowfall, making for snow totals over 100” this season, and days of sunny skies predicted through the Presidents’ Day holiday, the Big Bear Valley anticipates plenty of skiers and snowboarders on the slopes this weekend. Big Bear Mountain Resorts offers half-day session at both Bear Mountain and Snow Summit today (as of noon), and night session will be offered at Summit tonight and tomorrow, as well as on Sunday (Valentine’s Day), with each session running from 3 to 9:30pm. Snow depth on the resorts’ open runs averages four to six feet with a snow surface of machine-groomed packed powder; given these conditions and the three-day weekend, lift ticket reservations are recommended and available via BigBearMountainResorts.com.
Note to Big Bear visitors: As of Wednesday night, there are no chain requirements for any roads in our area (including Highways 18, 38 and 330), though travelers are reminded that it is the law to carry chains when in the mountains during the winter months. And though there are no chain controls in place today, Snow Conditions do remain in effect, so no parking on city streets, or risk having your vehicle ticketed or towed.
For those coming to the mountain and finding that their second home or rental is snowed in, the City of Big Bear Lake provides free overnight parking, so that visitors can drop off their stuff, leave a vehicle in a parking lot, and begin the shoveling out process. Big Bear’s two available lots for this purpose are at the Big Bear Lake Civic Center, at 39707 Big Bear Boulevard at Big Bear Lake’s west end, and at the Alden Road parking lot, just beyond the Village one block east of Knickerbocker Road, to the south of Big Bear Boulevard. The City has provided signage at both locations, to make them visible to visitors. Though these overnight parking lots are free, vehicles will need to be moved by 9am. (No parking of vehicles in these lots, from 9am to 11am and 5pm to 7pm, to allow for snow clearing.)
