Snow Safety Tips

You might be tempted to head to the mountains to enjoy the snow this weekend. Popular spots like the San Bernardino National Forest are closed, but Laguna Mountain was open on Friday, drawing crowds to watch the snow.

Santee resident Michael Pittman only likes to drive for about 45 minutes to see snow, but said he is very careful with winding roads and shared the following advice for drivers: “Slow and steady, be careful in the morning or at night, look for ice patches in the shade. Just slow and sure.”

This advice was echoed by the managing partner of Laguna Mountain Lodge, whose name is simply Tom.

“Be safe. Move slow. Bring supplies. Bring extra clothing. Bring water. Make sure your car has the right chains,” he said. “A lot of people come here with chains and they don’t fit in their cars and they’re stuck because there’s nowhere to buy them here.”

Tom also recommended filling up the car with gasoline because the nearest gas station is 11 miles away. And if you have an electric car: “Make sure you know your range and make sure you have gas before you get here because there is no place to charge in the mountains. I think the nearest charging station is probably 25 miles away.”

If you plan to bring a four-legged family member with you, be sure to keep it on a leash.

“A lot of people think they can be off-leash, but California says no,” he said. “This is a state on a leash, but people lose their dogs here all the time. They chase rabbits or squirrels or whatever and then lose them here for a long time. Sometimes they never find them.”

Pittman brought his two young sons to see the snow and brought extra supplies for them. “All plus one. We have extra clothes for them after. Sometimes their clothes get wet,” he said. “You never know, you could be stuck in traffic for a couple of hours driving up or down. You want to have a snack and be ready if you have little ones.”

Visitors should also be aware of where they park. Roads may be plowed, so do not double park or park where there are No Parking signs.

“Everyone is stuck. I stuck this yesterday. I got stuck in this storm eight times with a snow blower and had to get it out,” said Tom. “This is no joke, so you have to be prepared and not go where you don’t know where you’re going and how you’re going to get back.”

And he had one more request to visitors: “Just be polite and stay away from people’s houses and don’t cut fences. Some people live here – this is not the whole national forest. So you have to respect the environment and take your rubbish home with you – that’s important.”

You can find out about road closures and current weather conditions at road.dot.ca.gov before heading out for winter activities.

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