Winter will soon be upon us in the Big Bear Valley and we will once again we will be thinking about the road conditions and the chain conditions.

When you look up towards Big Bear and you see the mountains are capped with snow, a lot of people have the urge to jump into their car and head for the mountains.  Half way up the mountain, at the snow chain check point, while installing your chains, you notice that some cars are waved on through without needing to install chains.  You start to wonder why?

The following was taken direct from the DOT and explains the diffrent chain control restrictions.

Although Caltrans does not post signs with these designations nor use them to announce chain controls to the public, they are used internally within Caltrans and the CHP as a kind of shorthand to describe chain restrictions and may be included in traffic reports disseminated by various news outlets.

There are three primary categories of chain restrictions, as shown below:

R-1

Chains are required on all vehicles except passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks under 6,000 pounds gross weight and equipped with snow tires on at least two drive wheels. Chains must be carried by vehicles using snow tires. All vehicles towing trailers must have chains on one drive axle. Trailers with brakes must have chains on at least one axle.

R-2
 
Chains are required on all vehicles except four-wheel-drive vehicles under 6,500 pounds gross weight and equipped with snow tires on all four wheels. Chains for one set of drive wheels must be carried by four wheel-drive vehicles using snow tires.

R-3

Chains are required on all vehicles without exception.

R-1 and R-2 are the most common conditions. In most cases, A highway will often be closed before an R-3 condition is imposed. However, here in the Big Bear Valley, we will see a R-3 condition once or twice a year. 

The most important thing to remeber is this.  If you are planning on a trip to Big Bear in the winter season, be preparred and make sure that you have a set of chains that fit your car.  Don't be foolish and come up to Big Bear without chains.  The risk of accident and injury is not worth it.