Epic snowplowing

Plowing roads in the wake of the recent mega-storms is a lot more difficult than plowing roads following a typical snow storm. How much more difficult? Watch this video, featuring County Public Works-Special Districts employee Andy Duchateau.

A big day on mountain roads

The mountain communities today saw major strides toward returning to normal, with key moments captured in this video.

While the County continued to serve many residents who remained immobilized by record amounts of snowfall, County road-clearing efforts passed the 85-percent mark systemwide. County crews working around the clock achieved 100-percent service in Mt. Baldy, Wrightwood, and Cedarpines Park; 100-percent service on primary roads in Crestline and 50-percent service on secondary roads; and 70-percent service on primary roads in Lake Arrowhead and 50-percent service on secondary roads.

Meanwhile, Caltrans opened up major stretches of highway to residents only with no escorts needed. These openings included State Highway 18 from San Bernardino to Snow Valley, State Highway 330 from Highland to Running Springs, State Highway 38 from Mentone to Big Bear, and the entire lengths of State Routes 189, and 173. State Highway 2 from Big Pines to State Route 138 opened to all traffic on Sunday night.

The County urges residents thinking about returning home to remember:

• Proof of residency required Proof of residency can be established with a valid government-issued ID that contains a mountain community address. Post office boxes from mountain communities are acceptable. Officials will also accept property tax records and utility bills for mountain properties as proof of residency.
• Has your street been plowed? Check with the County’s snow removal map.
• Be prepared to clear your driveway to access to your home.
• Park in clear areas and do not block snowplow access. Parking violations will be enforced.
• Many utility workers, road crews, and response teams remain in the area. Please drive with caution!
• Traffic conditions are continuously monitored and additional closures may be needed.

At this time, friends and family members of mountain residents will not be allowed on the above listed roads at this time. This limited opening will not extend to guests of vacation rental properties.

The decision to allow travel up and down the mountain is at the discretion of the Incident Management Team (IMT). This is a collaborative effort involving many agencies such as County Fire, County Sheriff, CHP, and CalTrans. The County has been advocating for residents to have access once road conditions are deemed safe by the IMT.

For more information on closures and other conditions affecting travel, please check the Caltrans QuickMap website or app.

For other snow guidance from County Public Works, visit our Snow Removal Frequently Asked Questions site.

Food continues to be available at the County’s Commodity Points of Distribution

The County recognizes that food has been hard to come by in our mountain communities. That’s why the County is making free food available to mountain residents at sites in Wrightwood, Running Springs, Blue Jay, Crestline, and the Valley of Enchantment. For details, see the flyer below.

Help mountain residents by donating through the County

San Bernardino County is continuing its coordinated response to the historic snowstorms affecting the county’s mountain communities. We are working to clear roads, expediting the delivery of food and medications to the affected areas, and serving residents stranded at the bottom of the mountain.

Many victims of these storms have been trapped in their homes by the snow, uncertain when a path will be cleared to the nearest grocery store or gas station. While we have made great strides clearing roads and restoring essential services, residents in these mountain communities are now in need of the public’s help to recover from the storms for weeks to come. The following is an example of donations that residents need:

• Canned goods
• Non-perishable foods
• Sanitary Supplies such as toilet paper, diapers, wipes, paper towels
• Dry goods
• Baby formula
• Water

There are two ways to donate:

1. During the business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. donors may call our hotline at (909) 387-3911, press option 2, and speak to a live representative that will coordinate your donation.

After the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., donors may click on the following link: San Bernardino County Storm Response Emergency Donations or scan the QR Code to provide information regarding donations. A County team member will reach out to donors to coordinate next steps if the specific services or items are needed at this time.

1. Cash donations will be received by the Red Cross. You can help people affected by disasters like storms and countless other crises by making a gift to Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 800-RED-CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Please indicate San Bernardino County Storm Disaster Relief.

The need for donations will evolve with the conditions in the mountains. If donors do not receive a response from us, the donation may not be needed at this time.

The County will soon establish locations where mountain residents can access these donations.

Thank you for your support. Together we stand strong.