This truck was traveling without chains westbound on Mill Potrero Highway Saturday morning about 9 a.m. It got stuck on the incline at Voltaire in Pine Mountain Club. It was cleared to the side of the road within an hour. Always have your chains in your vehicle during this winter season! Peter Lamberto of the Pine Mountain community sent this photo.
The Grapevine, Lebec, Frazier Park and Pine Mountain Club, CA (Monday, Jan. 22, 2018 at 6:12 a.m.)—Road surfaces are clear from Mil Potrero Highway to the Grapevine, but it is cold, so melted snow from slopes and curves will have frozen on the road in some places overnight. Please drive slowly and carefully, especially on shady sections of the road, around curves and on bridges on Frazier Mountain Park Road between Lake of the Woods and Lebec.
The Grapevine, Lebec, Frazier Park and Pine Mountain Club, CA (Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018 at 10 a.m.)— At 9:30 a.m. the California Highway Patrol issued an order that all vehicles traveling on Cuddy Valley Road from the Y up to the top of Mount Pinos “shall” have chains. At 7:23 a.m. it was posted on the CHP incident report that chains were needed to go into Pine Mountain Club. Anyone traveling on the mountain today should have their traction devices with them, and their resident passes. There is a sign along the northbound Interstate 5 at Smokey Bear Road telling drivers that chains are required in the car to come into the Frazier Mountain / Pine Mountain / Mt. Pinos areas.
The Grapevine, Lebec, Frazier Park and Pine Mountain Club, CA (Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018 at 7 a.m.)—Roads are clear and it looks like it will be a perfect day. It is cold. Do have your Resident Pass or PMC sticker displayed in case there are snow visitors and chain checks today. Keep the chains in the car for chain check and in case the weather turns. See the National Weather Service forecast below. Get Resident pass at Ace Hardware and The Mountain Enterprise.
The Grapevine, Lebec, Frazier Park and Pine Mountain Club, CA (Saturday, Jan.20, 2018 at 8 p.m.)— Roads are basically clear and dry according to a reporter who has driven the length from Lebec to the Pine Mountain community this evening. Be cautious on bridges and curves for black ice: slow down. Be safe.
The Grapevine, Lebec, Frazier Park and Pine Mountain Club, CA (Saturday, Jan.20, 2018 at 2:50 p.m.)— National Weather Service forecasts a clearing through this week, with a small possibility of snow showers this afternoon (see forecast below). At the moment, roads are plowed and clear. Within the next two hours black ice may develop, if temperatures stay low and melt is on the road that may refreeze, creating slick areas. Drive slowly, and be cautious. Plan ahead to give plenty of time time to get where you are going. Please be safe. Don’t rush.
The Grapevine, Lebec, Frazier Park and Pine Mountain Club, CA (Saturday, Jan.20, 2018 at 9:39 a.m.)–According to CHP, the vehicles have been moved to the shoulder of the road.
The Grapevine, Lebec, Frazier Park and Pine Mountain Club, CA (Saturday, Jan.20, 2018 at 9:15 a.m.)–A pickup vs. dump truck collision on Mil Potrero Highway at Yellowstone has blocked lanes temporarily. This is a non-injury accident.
The Grapevine, Lebec, Frazier Park and Pine Mountain Club, CA (Saturday, Jan.20, 2018 at 8:32 a.m.)–Mil Potrero Highway into Pine Mountain Club is plowed and cindered. Cuddy Valley Road is plowed, but it is a long sheet of ice, so you must drive s-l-o-w-l-y and carefully, very easy on the gas and the brakes. Our reporter is in an all-wheel-drive Subaru, traveling at about 20 miles per hour without incident.
The Grapevine, Lebec, Frazier Park and Pine Mountain Club, CA (Saturday, Jan.20, 2018 at 7:40 a.m.)–The Grapevine had some incidents this morning at about 7:30 a.m. from drivers driving too fast for conditions and spinning out. Drive slowly. Leave plenty of room between vehicles. Mountain roads are being plowed. Chain check is now in effect at Lake of the Woods, for proceeding into Cuddy Valley and toward Pine Mountain Cllub, according to California Highway Patrol.
The snow is very light, at about 23 degrees this morning at 7:30 a.m. There is less than one inch of dry snow, which is not yet icy. Please drive slowly with great caution.
National Weather Service Forecast for Mountain Communities this week:
County Roads Supervisor Is at Mil Potrero Y
The Grapevine, Lebec, Frazier Park and Pine Mountain Club, CA (Friday, Jan. 19, 2018 at 5:10 p.m.)– Kern County Roads Supervisor Steve McCullah is at the Mil Potrero ‘Y’ at this moment: “I have a contractor out here and we are discussing the plan,” McCullah said at 5 p.m. as the snow began. He said there is “one plow and a sand truck,” and it is likely that he will bring in a second plow. “We wont cinder because it is snowing; they will be plowing the road, so they don’t want to be plowing up the cinders. We don’t have enough cinders to do that.”
McCullah said the plan is to continue plowing while it is snowing, and to cinder when the snow stops. There are piles of cinders stored at the ‘Y’ parking lot.
The Grapevine, Lebec, Frazier Park and Pine Mountain Club, CA (Friday, Jan. 19, 2018 at 5 p.m.)– A light snow has now started as the temperature is starting to drop with sunset. Please drive slowly and carefully, with chains in your vehicle. • The roads have been wet all day, so black ice will be possible as the temperature drops further. Don’t cause an accident by failing to be cautious. Put on those chains if there is snow on the road. Don’t take a chance.
Wet mists but no snow yet on Friday, FMLL postpones activities to next week
The Grapevine, Lebec, Frazier Park and Pine Mountain Club, CA (Friday, Jan. 19, 2018 at 4 p.m.)–No snow yet, and no real rain. The wet mists contintue. There is no wind. See the forecast below.
The Grapevine, Lebec, Frazier Park and Pine Mountain Club, CA (Friday, Jan. 19, 2018 at 3 p.m.)–With Highway 101 closed due to mud earlier slides through the Thomas fire burn area in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, more traffic is using Interstate 5, including its highest point, the Grapevine (through the Lebec area). No snow has occurred yet, but there may be snow on the I-5 late tonight, the National Weather Service said earlier today. Please scroll down for the full forecast.
Lebec, Frazier Park and Pine Mountain Club, CA (Friday, Jan. 19,2018 at 2 p.m.)–The National Weather service predicts snow showers Friday afternoon. So far there is a damp mist obscuring visibility and dampening the ground, but no snow or active rain by 2 p.m. The prediction is for some snow Friday night into Saturday morning, followed by a partly sunny day, with temperatures just above freezing. See below for the full forecast by the National Weather Service.
Frazier Mountain Little League’s Board Meeting and Field Appreciation Days are being postponed. Depending on weather, FMLL plans will resume for Field Appreciation Day for January 27 and 28. The board meeting will be Tuesday, Jan. 23, 6:30 p.m. at Falcon’s Nest.
Here is the weather forecast from the National Weather Service:
This is part of the January 19, 2018 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you.
