IE Mountain Communities Bracing For More Snow, Businesses Hope For Boost
LAKE ARROWHEAD (CBSLA) — A series of storms have turned some Southern California mountains into a winter wonderland, and there's even more snow on the way according to meteorologists.
But for many, the pain of chaining up in 27-degree weather and driving for hours on Tuesday night to get up the hill before the next snow was worth it.
"Just the beauty of the place," Randall Karp, a Torrance resident, said. "It's just absolutely gorgeous."
The San Bernardino Mountains got 18 inches of snow earlier this week and could get another 16 inches by Friday as another storm rolls in, bringing with it a number of tourists.
"I grew up with this restaurant," Alvaro Giron, bar manager at Papagaya's Mexican Restaurant, said. "I've been eating here for the 32 years I've been alive."
And businesses in mountain communities are hoping that the storm will make for a big weekend, but it won't be an easy sell with their newly reopened outdoor dining areas completely covered in snow.
"It's just, it's too cold for people to eat outside," Giron said. "We can't really spend money on equipment again. We can put the tents and heaters up again and everything, but we already did it once and we lost quite a bit."
Giron said he was hoping that tourists will happily take their orders to-go this week.
Meanwhile, Caltrans said it was hoping that drivers use common sense on the road.
"These are one- or two-lane highways, and you have thousands of people coming up to a small community," said Emily Leinen, Caltrans District 8 spokesperson, noting that chains are required.
"Our plows are always running," she said. "They're always plowing the roads, but if it's continuously snowing, I mean, we're not vacuum cleaners behind every car trying to suck up snow, you know."
Caltrans said it did not want to see people stranded, snow plows getting tailgated or people making the drive in the middle of the storm.