HWY 74 reopens from Palm Desert to Anza, opening path to Idyllwild

Two weeks after the Valentine’s Day flood that wreaked havoc on the mountain communities, the Coachella Valley, and beyond, some good travel news has emerged; Highway 74 from Palm Desert to Anza has reopened.

The mountain road was hit with a one-two punch of adverse weather conditions over the last several weeks, with a historic Valentine’s Day storm and then another front of snow that rolled through in the week that followed.

Snowy conditions affecting business, traffic along Highway 74

The major lifelines that traverse the mountain communities are not entirely intact again, however. Highway 74 from Hemet and Highway 243 from Banning remain shut down.

On Tuesday, a local emergency was declared for the mountain communities by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.