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Winter Weather Advisories Issued For Mountain Areas

RUNNING SPRINGS (CBS) — Winter weather advisories were in effect for local mountains Wednesday night, as some areas, like Running Springs, received a lot of snow.

Driving up Big Bear Mountain on Highway 330 presented some challenges through the night.

"Sometimes it happens when you put on chains. They're kind of sharp because they're metal and you get a little nick. Nothing major though," said commuter Lisa Moreno, who injured her finger while putting chains on her wheels.

After Moreno scraped up her knuckles, her son Joe took over the job, instead of paying a chain installer.

"Too expensive, they're charging like 40 bucks out here. You know that like that's insane," Moreno's son said.

But chains were required on all but four-wheel-drive vehicles and CHP checkpoints were ensuring that vehicles had them.

Donald McKracken said he loves the snowfall coming down right before the holiday weekend. He said it was perfect timing for him and all the ski resorts in the area.

"Got to love it. Brings tourists and money for everyone," he said.

The operator of a flat truck that we spoke to should agree; he had just returned from an eight-car pile-up.

Tow truck driver Gerry Stroner said that most of the crashes that he saw throughout the night had been the result of people not using their chains.

"After you get pulled out, we're not allowed to let you back out on the road, so you get towed back to the closest location to where safety is provided," Stroner said.

That was something that driver Moreno was not willing to chance.

"It's really scary driving in this weather and without the chains and stuff," she said.

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