While heavy snowfall this week led to a tragic avalanche in Lake Tahoe, further south in Big Bear, businesses are banking on the snow to turn around a bad start to the winter ski season.
The National Weather Service said, since Monday, at least 18 inches of snow have fallen on Big Bear— with some places getting up to three feet. Only one inch fell on the region between the start of ski season in November and last week.
Mario Magliozzi manages Goldsmith’s Sports, a ski rental shop in Big Bear. He said after months of the shop being dead, business is already picking up.
“We're snow farmers, and we just had a big bumper crop,” said Magliozzi. "And we're looking forward to how this can help us through the rest of the season.”
National Weather Service forecasters say Big Bear could get another seven inches of snow by Friday.
CalTrans advises drivers to check its website for the latest information on chain requirements.