Snowstorm closes schools in Big Bear Valley on Friday

Winter weather closes schools in Big Bear Valley

Bear Valley Unified School District schools will be closed Friday due to excessive snowfall and inclement weather.

School officials said the closure will allow staff time to clear the snow off campuses and make during the conditions are safe for students to return.

Schools closed on Friday, March 15, include:

Big Bear High School
Chautauqua High School
Baldwin Lane Elementary School
Big Bear Middle School
North Shore Elementary School

The winter storm hit Bear Valley overnight, freezing gas pumps at a Valero in the area as snow levels dropped to 6,000 feet and then to 5,000 feet.

Gas pumps freeze overnight during snow storm in Big Bear

The snow fell for most of the night and into the morning making driving conditions dangerous. Chains were required on Highway 18 and other parts of Bear Valley. Several cars were allegedly stuck on the roads, but no injuries were reported.

Amy Maetzold

Amy Maetzold is a digital producer at KCAL News. She started her journalism career in Wisconsin where she was a producer at NBC15 and Spectrum News 1. Before coming to KCAL, Amy covered news in Santa Barbara at KEYT, winning a group Emmy Award for team coverage on the Alisal Fire.