Snow Has Finally Returned to Southern California Ski Resorts

Originally posted on SNOWBOARDER | By Josh Sullivan | Last updated Jan 30, 2025 10:42 AM ET

After a relatively dry winter, Big Bear Mountain Resort and Snow Valley are finally getting some snow.

The ski areas in California benefitted from a moderate storm that swept through earlier this week. Snow Valley was the big winner, as it picked up nearly one foot of fresh snowfall at the summit, and about 6”-10” at the base of the mountain. Bear Mountain, meanwhile, got 6” of fresh snow on Monday.

"Our local meteorologist, Ben Brissy reports another chilly and breezy day with highs in the low to mid 30s,” the snow report says. The rest of the week should be fair and a bit warmer, with dry conditions sticking around into the weekend… February might bring a shift in the weather, potentially setting the stage for more wintry conditions.”

Despite the recent snow, Snow Valley has just four trails out of 32 open as of the morning of January 30, 2025. There are four of nine lifts open. Some more light snowfall is in the forecast for next Tuesday.

Snow Summit is a little bit more open, with six of 10 lifts spinning and 19 of 33 runs open. Bear Mountain is spinning 6 of 7 lifts, and has 17 of 26 trails open.

It’s been a historically abysmal snow season thus far for the region. In the 2023-2024 seas, there was 167” of snowfall across 23 days. The average base depth was 29”, and even that was a down year compared to the previous year’s 52” average. January historically brings about 27” of snowfall to Bear Mountain. This January has seen just 11” of the good stuff.

Snow Valley has received 21” of fresh snowfall so far this season. Snow Summit and Bear Mountain have gotten 15” each. Snow has been recorded for just four dates thus far this season: November 16, 2025; January 7, 2025; January 26, 2025; and January 27, 2025.

Hopefully, February will bring some better days. It’s historically the month with the highest snowfall, averaging 33” per year.

Snow chains or cables are currently required on all 2-wheel-drive vehicles to/from Big Bear Mountain Resort. All-wheel-drive vehicles should be fine, but it’s always a good idea to carry chains in case restrictions shift from R2 to R3. As of the morning of January 30, 2025, All four entry roads to the resort are open with no restrictions.

This article first appeared on SNOWBOARDER and was syndicated with permission.

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