Storm No. 2 provides icing on the cake at ski and snowboard resorts

More snow is falling at the local ski and snowboard resorts and roads are open to Mountain High, Bear Mountain, Snow Summit, Snow Valley and Mt. Baldy.

But chains are required on all four wheels in all areas, except for those with four-wheel-drive vehicles and snow tires. Additionally, hazardous conditions are being reported in some areas, and Caltrans just closed a portion of State Route 14 at Soledad Canyon due to deep snow, but a detour is available.

Motorists heading to the slopes should consult the Caltrans website for possible closures.

The resorts received at least 3 inches of powder overnight and snow is currently falling throughout the San Gabriel and San Bernardino ranges, and on Sierra Nevada slopes.

More terrain also is being opened. Expert skiers and riders will be happy to learn that at Mt. Baldy, the black-diamond runs beneath Chair 1, leading to the parking lot, are open and covered with a 2-foot base.

At Mountain High, East Resort opens Thursday and North Resort opens Saturday. West Resort is 100% open with a depth to 30 inches.

The Big Bear-area resorts can be the trickiest to access. The swiftest route is the "front way" on Highway 330/18 from San Bernardino, through Running Springs. A convenient route for many, especially on crowded weekends, is the "back way" on Highway 38 from Redlands. The safest way in snowy weather is the "desert way" on Highway 18 from Lucerne Valley.

(During Monday's storm, Highway 330 was closed for hours because of a bus and truck blocking the road.)

At Mammoth Mountain in the Eastern Sierra, all terrain is expected to be open by the weekend. Canyon and Eagle Lodges are opening today.

So the options are many. Enjoy them while they last.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Skier glides across trail at Mammoth Mountain. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times