Big Bear road conditions

The three state highways into Big Bear Valley, as Caltrans reports them right now. A closure or chain requirement on one route often does not apply to the others.

Caltrans imposes chain control segment by segment, and every segment has its own elevation. That is why one road up the mountain can be under chains while another is bare pavement — and why a single answer for “Big Bear” is not much use.

All three highways reach the valley, but they do not reach it at the same height. Onyx Summit on Highway 38 is about 2,400 feet higher than the top of Highway 330. In a marginal storm with the snow level near 6,500 feet, Highway 38 can be under chain control or closed while Highway 330 is still bare pavement.

Elevations are the highest chain-control segment Caltrans publishes for each route.

Caltrans uses three levels of chain control. They are announced on highway signs and in the live status above.

R-1

Chains are required on all vehicles except passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks under 6,000 pounds gross weight fitted with snow tires on at least two drive wheels.

R-2

Chains are required on all vehicles except four-wheel and all-wheel drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four wheels.

R-3

Chains are required on all vehicles, no exceptions. A highway is often closed before conditions reach R-3.

Four-wheel and all-wheel drive vehicles must still carry traction devices inside a chain control area, even when R-2 exempts them from fitting chains.

Definitions from Caltrans. Always follow the signs and any instruction from CHP officers at the control point — they override anything shown here.

Snow is not the only thing that closes a road into the valley. Wildfire, collisions and power-related work all show up on the incident feed, and a storm bearing down on the mountain shows up in the forecast before it reaches the pavement.