"The snow is beautiful and the weather. So we have to enjoy the day," said Andrea Diaz of Temecula.
"The ski resorts will be very busy. As a retail merchant, I just hope some of it spills back into the retail shopping areas, and it makes it good for all of us," said Earl Cline of the Shirt Shanty.
For shop owners in the Big Bear Village, the timing couldn't be any better.
"We need it. In this economy, we really need a good shot in the arm, and this is going to bring it in," said Leo Moran, the owner of Big Bear Threads.
But before store owners can celebrate, drivers have to get there first. The main route, Highway 330, should get pretty crowded Friday night and Saturday. Caltrans says it might be a better idea to take the less traveled Highway 38 through Redlands. But to make sure people are driving carefully on the way up, the highway patrol has deployed additional officers for the weekend. One of the things they'll be watching for is drivers who park illegally.
"If you are parked illegally, and you're in the traffic lane, you will be cited and or your vehicle will be towed," warned Gary Fernandez of CHP.
The CHP reminds drivers they need to display an adventure pass to park along the road and play in the snow. And even with that pass, you need to make sure to park where it's safe.
