Idyllwild Online News

Snowed-in, power out

By J.P. Crumrine, News Editor


Last week was cold, wet and treacherous. Idyllwild Fire Department recorded 21 inches of snow from Monday, Dec. 15, through Thursday, Dec. 18, the second largest December snowfall since 1947.

Caltrans kept the main traffic arteries open and clear, and no major traffic collisions or fatalities were reported. However, the weather caused some major hardships and adjustments, even as the temperatures rose and the skies cleared. For Southern California Edison (SCE), the week was frustrating.

The week began Monday with 2 inches of rain and 8 inches of snow by Tuesday morning. An inch more of rain fell throughout Tuesday and Wednesday along with 10 more inches of snow as temperatures fell and rain turned first to sleet, then to snow. On Thursday 0.4 inches of rain fell, followed by 3 inches of snow, bringing the four-day snow total to 21 inches.

The weight of wet snow and ice became too much. Power flickered throughout the village. At Café Aroma, the lights dimmed and brightened several times. Eventually the circuits could not take all the strain as trees and limbs fell and leaned on the lines.

The power went out for more than 3,200 customers. Some saw its return late Wednesday. SCE tried hard to restore power as quickly and easily as it could, but the snow exacerbated the recovery process. While dozens of SCE vehicles were parked throughout town, many could not navigate the snow-clogged roads traversing the Hill.

Regardless of the difficulties restoring power, people now depend upon electricity for basic living. The longer it is absent, the inconveniences grow into problems or dilemmas. M.J. Mitchell of  Idyllwild is one who suffered and shared his experience.

“As with everyone else on the Hill, we lost our power Wednesday about 11 a.m.,” he wrote. “I couldn’t make it down the Hill to work because my automatic garage door opener wouldn’t work.”

After digging out his generator, he remembered that the spare gasoline was in the garage. His telephone service did not work without power and his cell phone battery needed charging.

Later Wednesday, he called SCE and reported wires on the ground. SCE responded within a few hours. That impressed Mitchell, given the workload.

On Thursday, he removed the side wall of his garage to get to the car and then to work. On Friday, after work, he was still without power.

“Another call to Edison’s automated update service told me that power is on to all customers,” he said. That was a premature notice. On Saturday near 5 p.m., power struggled to recover.

“It went off and on again three times in the next half hour,” he wrote. “Third times’ a charm, it stayed on.” Mitchell was one of hundreds who had to persevere.

As SCE crews made repairs but power remained off, they learned that much of the damage was not along the highways. SCE had to use a helicopter to locate more downed lines and fallen trees.

According to Lauren Bartlett, SCE spokesperson, four separate areas suffered power losses. The largest group consisted of 1,638 customers in Fern Valley. Their power was finally restored at 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

A second area encompassing 749 customers north of Foster Lake was without power from Wednesday morning until 11 p.m. Friday. A third neighborhood of 315 homes had power restored 1:11 a.m. Saturday. The fourth neighborhood, bound by Pine Crest and Dickinson to Strong, had power by 7:40 Wednesday night, the same day of the outage.

As of Dec. 21, 2007, 12.5 inches of snow, about a quarter of the 2007-08 46.3 inches of snow, had fallen compared to 22 inches already this year. As of Tuesday morning, the National Weather Service is predicting a significant chance of more snow or snow showers from Christmas Eve through Friday.

Last week’s rainfall totaled 3.6 inches. During the 2008 rain year (July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008), Idyllwild’s total rain was 24.8 inches, about an inch less than the 60-year average. However, nearly a third, 8.7 inches, had fallen by Christmas. Since July 1, only 5.8 inches of rain have come to Idyllwild.

Despite the low temperatures, local water districts reported no strain on water supplies or pipeline breaks or leaks.

For many who live in the valleys below, the snow was an attraction that had to be indulged, despite the electricity issues in town. Last weekend dozens of carloads of people came up to a winter wonderland of blue skies and deep snow, stopping or parking along Highway 243 between the southern end of Saunders Meadows and the entrance to town. Adults and children frolicked in the snow and rode makeshift sleds down hills.