Overnight Snow

The weather station has recorded .71 inches of rain for the month of February.  Last night's freezing temperatures brought some snow and a lot of ice to Pine Cove.  From what we have heard, Idyllwild, Mountain Center and Garner Valley were spared the snow part.  Lucky them!  If you have to go out, be very careful.  The roads are icy around Pine Cove.  Hopefully the sun will come out and melt off some of the ice. 

Here is the latest from the CA Dept. of Transportation.
SR 243

[IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA]
CHAINS OR SNOW TIRES ARE REQUIRED FROM PINE COVE TO LAKE FULMER
(RIVERSIDE CO)

So if you have to go down to Hemet or the desert, you are good to go.  If you are heading down to Banning, you will need your chains or snow tires.  Not too bad. 

The night time temperatures are expected to continue to be in the 20's for the next few nights with more snow possible tomorrow night.  With these freezing cold temps, please be sure to provide a warm, dry shelter and fresh water and food for any animals you might keep outside. 

Also remember to disconnect any outside hoses.  You can cover your outside faucets as well.  The hardware stores sell insulated covers for them for around $5. It is worth the price not to get up in the morning and have a frozen pipe.  

Please, please, please remember that if you are leaving the hill, turn your water off at your customer shut off valve.
This is the best way to prevent a broken or frozen pipe and catastrophic water loss while you are away from your mountain home.  Remember that all water that runs through your meter is your responsibility, no matter the reason.  There is a big misconception that if you have a leak or pipe break, that you will not have to pay the water bill.   This is not true, but we hear it time and time again.  It is so much easier to prevent a catastrophe than it is to repair the damage afterwards.