Full Notification

Upper Roads are restricted to 4WD or Chains due to icy conditions. Remember that the snow plows cannot plow ice or less than 2 inches of snow. In conditions like these, they will drop abrasives to help with traction.

Please keep your headlights on during fog and stormy weather, and allow plenty of space if you are behind a plow truck. They cannot spread abrasives on slick road surfaces if traffic follows too closely.

Updates will be sent as follow-ups to this message as conditions change.


Road Restrictions
During a storm, plow drivers and Bear Valley Police Officers continuously monitor the road conditions. Before the storm starts, the on-duty officers and Roads lead constantly communicate with each other as BVPD patrols the valley. The snow tends to start sticking in upper elevations while the lower valley is still getting rain, so officers pay particular attention to roads like Paramount, Jacaranda, and Deertrail.

• "Upper Roads" applies to all roads at a higher elevation than the Bear Valley/Cumberland loop. 
• If you are stuck outside the gate without chains, you can park at the school and have someone pick you up.
• If the chain-up area outside the gate is full, you can pull into the PD parking lot to apply chains. Please be aware of each other in these areas. People may be crouched down and hard to see, and cars may slide in unpredictable directions.

Snow Control
As soon as the snow starts to stick, plow drivers come in and get prepared for deployment. These plow drivers are made up of all of the public works staff, who work 12-hour rotations in the trucks until the storm is done and the roads are clear. The road crew is the first on duty, followed by the other crews when their shift is done.

They have a priority list, which is discussed in detail on The BV Exchange: Snow Control Plan | The Bear Valley Exchange (thebvexchange.com)

There is also an interactive map at that link where residents can call attention to trouble spots in their specific area. We have a lot of microbiomes in the valley, and some people may see feet of snow while others see only rain. Our six plow drivers cannot be in all places at all times, so we do appreciate residents' observations. When a pin is dropped on this map, an email is sent to the Roads Supervisor (who may be in a truck) and the Public Works Administrator (who has radio contact with the trucks). The reaction is not immediate, but it does help us stay aware and prioritize accurately.  

Emergencies
If you have an emergency, please call BVPD Dispatch at 661-861-3110. They are equipped with a 4WD vehicle for conditions such as this.

As always, try to avoid travel, but if you must, please use caution, allow plenty of time to reach your destination safely, and keep your headlights on!