When It Snows in the San Diego Mountains: Driving Up Without Regret

A snow day in the county's mountains is a local event. The first clear morning after a storm, a good part of the coast seems to head for the same few roads at once, in cars set up for the beach and with drivers who last fitted chains never. That combination, rather than the snow itself, is what fills the shoulders with stuck cars by early afternoon.

Chains: the rules that apply up here

When chain controls are up, Caltrans posts the level on signs, and you must follow them; the CHP can cite and fine you if you don't. The levels are the same statewide:

• R-1: chains required, except passenger vehicles and light trucks under 6,000 lb with snow tires on at least two drive wheels — and those must still carry chains.
• R-2: chains or traction devices required, except four-wheel and all-wheel drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four wheels, which must carry traction devices.
• R-3: chains on every vehicle, no exceptions.

Caltrans says you usually get about a mile between the "Chains Required" sign and the checkpoint to fit them, that the speed limit with chains is 25 or 30 mph, and that you should pull completely off the roadway to the right before you start. Chains go on the drive wheels, so know whether your car is front- or rear-wheel drive before you are kneeling in slush. Installers working the chain areas are independent business people, not Caltrans staff; get a receipt with their badge number on it.

Don't park where the snow is

The County's public works department asks visitors not to stop in the roadway to get out and enjoy the snow, and instead to find a safe place to pull over and park in a designated area. It also asks drivers to watch for County crews and equipment, especially during ploughing. On state highways, Vehicle Code section 22505 lets Caltrans post signs prohibiting stopping or parking where it is dangerous, and those signs are binding.

A car parked on a narrow shoulder in falling snow is exposed to every driver who loses grip on the curve above it. If someone slides into it, their liability coverage should respond — if they stop and have it. Otherwise it is your collision coverage or nothing.

The way down is where it goes wrong

Going up is a traction problem; coming down is a braking problem. Caltrans and the DMV both warn that bridges and shaded spots ice over first and dry out last. Use a low gear so the engine holds your speed, leave several times your normal gap, and stay at least four car lengths behind snow ploughs, as Caltrans advises. In a heavy snowstorm, the DMV's rule is that if you cannot see farther than 100 feet, it is not safe to drive faster than 30 mph.

What to carry

Caltrans's winter list is short and sensible: chains that fit your tires, a flashlight, an ice scraper, a small shovel, sand or burlap for traction, water, food, warm blankets and extra clothing. Add two items that save more days than any of those: a full tank, because you may sit in a long delay or have to turn back, and a spare key in your pocket, because people lock themselves out while fitting chains.

If it goes wrong: what your policy does

Sliding off the road or into another car on ice is a collision event. Damage to your own car is your collision coverage, subject to the deductible, and there is none on a liability-only policy. If you hit someone else, your liability coverage pays them. Getting winched out of a ditch is a roadside matter, and whether a winch-out is included varies by insurance company. A branch that drops under the weight of snow onto a parked car is generally a comprehensive claim. None of that is a reason to stay home; it is a reason to know which of those lines your policy has.

Before the first storm of the season, send us your declarations page and we will tell you plainly whether a mountain day is covered the way you think it is.