Idyllwild weather and road conditions at a glance: the temperature in town, the forecast, and chain controls and closures on Highways 243 and 74, each with the time of the latest reading.
Right now
Weather in Idyllwild
49°F, Sunny
Wind 4 mph
Checked
Highway 243
Open
Checked
Highway 74
Open
Checked
Forecast
Today
High 65°F Sunny
Tonight
Low 47°F Clear
Sunday
High 66°F Sunny
Sunday Night
Low 48°F Clear
Monday
High 66°F Sunny
Monday Night
Low 48°F Mostly Clear
Issued
Highways 243 and 74
Highway 243: Open
Chain controls on Highway 243
Section
Status
Jct. SR 74 thru to Pine Cove
No chain controls are in effect at this time.
Pine Cove thru to Lake Fulmor
No chain controls are in effect at this time.
Lake Fulmor thru to Forest Boundary
No chain controls are in effect at this time.
Forest Boundary thru to Jct I-10
No chain controls are in effect at this time.
Checked
Highway 74: Open
Chain controls on Highway 74
Section
Status
Mountain Center thru to Pinyon Drive
No chain controls are in effect at this time.
Pinyon Drive thru to Jct. SR 111
No chain controls are in effect at this time.
Hemet thru to Mountain Center
No chain controls are in effect at this time.
Checked
Emergency closures can reach Caltrans QuickMap before they reach this page. Open Caltrans QuickMap
Where this comes from
Temperature and wind: National Weather Service station Keenwild (KNWC1). Forecast: National Weather Service. Highway status: Caltrans chain-control and lane-closure feeds for District 8. Checked every 10 minutes.
This board shows the latest reading from the National Weather Service and Caltrans, with the time it was taken. The Idyllwild weather reading usually comes from a station in town at 5,360 feet. Road status covers Highway 243 up from Banning, and Highway 74 from Hemet and from Highway 111 in the desert. If a feed goes quiet, we keep the last reading and show how old it is.
Open means no chain control and no full closure. It doesn’t mean no delays: roadwork and crashes Caltrans hasn’t logged as a closure won’t show here. For the full picture on the roads, check Caltrans QuickMap before you leave.
Want to see the village itself? The live webcam shows downtown Idyllwild right now.
What the chain codes mean
R-1: chains required, except on cars and light trucks under 6,000 pounds with snow tires on the drive wheels. With snow tires, you still carry chains.
R-2: chains or traction devices required, except on four-wheel or all-wheel drive with snow tires on all four wheels. Those still carry chains.
R-3: chains or traction devices on every vehicle, no exceptions. The road often closes before it gets here.
Snow tires are the ones marked M+S or MUD AND SNOW on the sidewall. Chain rules from Caltrans. The signs and the crew at the checkpoint have the final word.
