Big Bear Valley, CA — We’ve received at least another inch of snow here in the Big Bear Valley and this, coupled with severe winds, may make for difficult driving conditions this morning (Tuesday, March 9). There have been several reports of slick conditions on our mountain roads, all of which are under an R2 chain requirement, meaning that all two-wheel drive vehicles must have chains on, while four-wheel drive vehicles with snow tires on all four wheels are required to carry chains. This R2 chain requirement, as issued by CalTrans, applies to all roads in our area, including Highways 18 and 330 the front way, Highway 38, and streets within the Big Bear Valley. At present, there are also chain restrictions in place on Highway 18 en route to the desert communities, and drivers should be aware that the road is slick and there have been reports of spin-outs on the switchbacks en route to the desert this morning. We can expect reduced visibility as winds continue through the day as the National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory, which applies to the San Bernardino mountains into this evening. We can expect northwest winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour, with gusts up to 50 miles per hour possible during this Wind Advisory, which extends until 6pm. Update: As of Tuesday afternoon, all chain requirements have been lifted, and the Wind Advisory has been extended until Wednesday night.
