First, know the expected conditions. There are three levels
of chain requirements in California:
Requirement 1 (R-1)
Chains are required on all vehicles except passenger
vehicles and light-duty trucks under 6,000 pounds gross weight and equipped
with snow tires on at least two drive wheels. Chains must be carried by
vehicles using snow tires. All vehicles towing trailers must have chains on one
drive axle. Trailers with brakes must have chains on at least one axle.
This is good news for most Subaru owners because mud and
snow tires come standard on all new Subaru's except the BRZ, WRX, and STi
models.
Requirement 2 (R-2)
Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles
except four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four
wheels. Note: four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles must carry traction devices
in chain control areas.
This is good news for every Subaru built since 1997 with the
exception of the BRZ. This is because the rest of the Subaru line-up has come
with Subaru's Symmetrical All Wheel Drive standard. WRX and STi customers will
want to check their tires to see if they have Mud and Snow tires, or if they
have stock summer tires as it differed from model year to model year. Written
on the side of your tires you will see M+S. This means mud plus snow tires.
Requirement 3 (R-3)
Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles, no
exceptions. R-1 and R-2 are the most common conditions. A highway will often be closed before the R-3
condition is imposed. Some areas may use variations of these designations.
Second, purchase your chains or cables before you head to
your snowy destination. You will find recommendations in your Subaru's owner
manual about which option is recommended for your particular year and
model. Remember, even if you are not
going to need to put them on, you will most likely need to show them to local
authorities monitoring the roads.
Third, be safe and have fun.
For full details of requirements, always consult local
authorities. Caltrans
is an excellent source of information for local areas such as Highways to
Wrightwood, Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead, Running Springs, and Crestline. Also
excellent to check the conditions of the Cajon Pass if you are traveling to the
High Desert Communities of Victorville, Apple Valley, Oak Hills, Phelan,
Adelanto, or Barstow.