Heavy weekend snowfall has necessitated the County of San Bernardino to declare a state of emergency along with a Sheriff’s request for travelers to avoid certain mountain areas. A statement from the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Station, located in the San Bernardino mountain range, has asked both residents and visitors not currently on the mountain to avoid the area and allow road crews, first responders, and resupply efforts priority access to the limited number of roads that have been cleared.
Cal-Trans and the San Bernardino County Roads Department have been working to create single-lane pathways along the major roadways, giving first responders access to those in need. However, due to the volume of snow remaining on the roadways additional work is needed before they will be safe for regular traffic. The San Bernardino County Fire Department is utilizing tracked vehicles to access patients in medical need.
Gas stations and grocery stores have reached critically low levels and cannot support any additional consumers at this time.
The plight of mountain communities led San Bernardino County to declare a local emergency yesterday afternoon (February 27). The declaration seeks state and federal assistance to clear snow from mountain highways and neighborhood streets and support any other necessary work and services.
Board of Supervisors Chair Dawn Rowe, whose Third District includes the impacted mountain communities, said in a statement, “Today’s emergency declaration is an important step which will elevate the state’s response to this extreme weather event.”
More snowfall is predicted for this week. Though our high desert is not considered to be part of the emergency declaration, it is advised that residents of the Morongo Basin drive carefully in icy conditions and prepare for high winds and snow flurries.
