Highway 18, the main route for thousands of motorists headed from the Los Angeles area to Big Bear, was closed due to heavy snow Thursday, officials said.
“SR-18 closed in both directions from Snow Valley to Big Bear dam (Arctic Circle) to remove large snowpack,” Caltrans District 8 posted on X, formerly Twitter, shortly after 6 a.m.
Motorists were asked to be patient while crews worked to clear the road.
A detour through State Route 38 to the south of Big Bear, which loops around the back of the lake and adds a significant amount of driving time, was suggested.
The closure comes as Big Bear Mountain Resort received more than 5 feet of fresh snow over the past 48 hours.
No timetable was given for when the road might reopen.