What do chain controls on SR-89 mean?

R-1 means chains or snow tires are required. R-2 means chains are required except on four-wheel-drive vehicles with snow tires on all four wheels. R-3 means chains are required on every vehicle with no exceptions. R-3 is rare and usually precedes a closure.

Where do chain controls usually start on SR-89?

Caltrans sets controls at whichever point matches the snow level. On SR-89 the control points run from Sierra / Plumas County Line at 4,665 feet up to Luther Pass at 7,732 feet.

SR-89 road conditions

The west shore, Tahoe City past Emerald Bay to South Lake Tahoe, and north to Truckee and Sierraville.

SR-89 — open, no chain controls checking…

Weather at Echo Summit

Tonight: Mostly Clear
Temperature: 49°F
Wind: 12 to 22 mph
Zone: CAZ136

Cameras and chain-control points on SR-89

8 cameras and 26 chain-control points. Click a camera marker to open it.

What to know in winter

Emerald Bay is the first stretch to close and the last to reopen — avalanche terrain above the road.

If it closes: Round the east shore on SR-28 and US-50.

Chain controls come in three levels. R-1 means chains or snow tires. R-2 means chains unless you are in a four-wheel drive with snow tires on all four wheels — this is the one most drivers meet. R-3 means chains on everything, no exceptions, and it usually means a closure is not far behind.

Chain-control points, highest first

Caltrans does not control the whole road at once. Controls go up at whichever point matches the snow level, which is why the same storm produces controls in different places on different days.

No controls are up anywhere on SR-89 right now.

All 21 control points on SR-89

Point	Elevation	Near	Now
Luther Pass	7,732 ft	Markleeville	Clear
Bliss State Park	6,840 ft	Tahoma	Clear
Emerald Bay	6,624 ft	South Lake Tahoe	Clear
Christmas Valley	6,505 ft	South Lake Tahoe	Clear
Little Truckee Summit	6,430 ft	Loyalton	Clear
Tahoma ( Co line / Sugar Pine )	6,332 ft	Tahoma	Clear
Tahoma - Eldo / Placer Co Line	6,305 ft	Tahoma	Clear
Harper's Grade	6,292 ft	Tahoma	Clear
Ebrights	6,289 ft	South Lake Tahoe	Clear
Tahoe City	6,246 ft	Tahoe City	Clear
Olympic Valley	6,171 ft	Olympic Valley	Clear
Onion Valley - 17 Miles n/o Truckee	6,059 ft	Sierraville	Clear
Prosser Dam Road - Truckee	5,977 ft	Truckee	Clear
Truckee - West River St	5,928 ft	Truckee	Clear
Hobart Mills	5,853 ft	Truckee	Clear
Hobart Mills - ECC only	5,853 ft	Truckee	Clear
Sattley (Jct. 89/49)	5,036 ft	Calpine	Clear
Sierraville	5,026 ft	Sierraville	Clear
Calpine	4,973 ft	Calpine	Clear
Sattley	4,937 ft	Calpine	Clear
Sierra / Plumas County Line	4,665 ft	Clio	Clear

21 control points, collapsed from 26 feed records — Caltrans lists each point once per direction.

Cameras on SR-89

Traffic camera: SR-89 at Truckee / West River — SR-89 at Truckee / West River · Caltrans · CA · source

Traffic camera: SR-89 at Olympic Valley — SR-89 at Olympic Valley · Caltrans · CA · source

Traffic camera: SR-89 at Tahoe City / Alpine Meadows — SR-89 at Tahoe City / Alpine Meadows · Caltrans · CA · source

Traffic camera: SR-89 at Olympic Valley / Rampart — SR-89 at Olympic Valley / Rampart · Caltrans · CA · source

Traffic camera: SR-89 at Tahoe City / Fairway Dr — SR-89 at Tahoe City / Fairway Dr · Caltrans · CA · source

Traffic camera: SR-89 at Tahoe City / SR-28 — SR-89 at Tahoe City / SR-28 · Caltrans · CA · source

All 8 cameras on SR-89 →

Other roads

I-80
The main line between Reno and Sacramento, over Donner Pass.
SR-431 Mt Rose
The Mt Rose Highway, Reno to Incline Village — the highest year-round pass in the Sierra Nevada.
SR-267
Truckee to Kings Beach over Brockway Summit.
SR-28
The north and east shore road, Tahoe City to Incline Village and on to Spooner.
US-50
Reno and Carson City to South Lake Tahoe and on to Sacramento, over Spooner and Echo Summit.
US-395
The north–south spine through Reno and Carson City, running south past Gardnerville toward the Eastern Sierra.
SR-207
Kingsbury Grade, the short climb from the Carson Valley to Stateline and South Lake Tahoe.
SR-88 Carson Pass
Carson Pass, from the Carson Valley over to Jackson and the Central Valley.
Reno city cameras
.

Chain-control status, closures and camera images: Caltrans District 3 (public domain) and Nevada DOT / nvroads.com. Weather: National Weather Service — not an official NWS product. Always confirm at roads.dot.ca.gov or nvroads.com before you travel.