Tioga Pass Prognosticator #14

Yeah it looks touch and go at the moment for the weekend, thanks Jessica for being vigilant. The Yosemite site status at the moment is 'Call' and the weather forecast predicts little snow accumulation and the threat of thunderstorms has ended along with the 'Hazardous weather warning.

Quote:

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Hazardous Weather Outlook
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
855 PM PDT FRI MAY 25 2012

CAZ089>094-096-097-261100-
WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
855 PM PDT FRI MAY 25 2012

...THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS ENDED...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA INCLUDING THE
FOOTHILLS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT OR
UNUSUAL CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

$$

SANGER

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

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Anyone planning on travelling Tioga this weekend should keep checking for updates.

Quote:

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Originally posted by CAnative Tease me all you want -- I've been lucky and am happy. The 13th contest wasn't lucky which makes me wonder about 20 .. 13 dates.

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Tease ? We don't tease ! We are preparing, encouraging you to take the 'Triple Crown'. ;-)

Yep - all 3 passes are closed right now - Tioga, Sonora, Ebbetts.

What a truly odd year!

Mark

Open for now according to Cal Trans and YNP. Glacier Point also re-opened.

Quote:

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Yosemite National Park
about an hour ago
The Tioga Road has re-opened! Road conditions remain wet and it may be lightly snowing in some areas throughout the afternoon, so please use extreme caution while driving. Call 209/372-0200 for updated road conditions.

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It looks lovely up on the pass right now and the forecast looks impressive. Tioga is still listed as 'Call' before travelling on the Yosemite page, [open with Caltrans] but with temps of 50f [+] at 10,00ft and 74f in the valley [both rising through the week] and clear blue skys waiting, it looks as though anyone visiting is in for an amazing time!

I guess it happens every year, but somehow I've never noticed it before. I must not have looked at the Yosemite Falls web cam in September before. But if you look now, (and it's still daylight) you'll see that the falls are dry! It's hard for me to imagine this is the same spot as the place where the roar of the falls can be heard for miles!

Mark

As you know we love to travel in the Fall and this is the downside, it was bone dry ! I would really like to visit in the Spring one year and see them flowing at full tilt.

The weather looks wonderful in the valley at the moment with the temps nudging into the 80's, yet it's possible we could be only 6 to 8 weeks away from a closure !! Who knows ?

Dave.

And now we are looking at the possibility of record breaking temps for this time of year !

Copied from the National Weather Service.

Quote:

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Special Weather Statement
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
545 AM PDT FRI SEP 28 2012

CAZ089>099-282230-
WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-
SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT-
545 AM PDT FRI SEP 28 2012

...RECORD TEMPERATURES POSSIBLE BEGINNING SUNDAY...

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE AREA WILL BUILD OVER CALIFORNIA
LATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THIS WILL COMBINE WITH AN INCREASING
OFFSHORE FLOW TO PUSH TEMPERATURES TO RECORD OR NEAR RECORD LEVELS
ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR.

HIGH TEMPERATURES SUNDAY IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY WILL BE IN THE
UPPER 90S...WITH A FEW SPOTS TOPPING OUT AT 100 DEGREES. ON
MONDAY...THE OFFSHORE FLOW WILL STRENGTHEN AND TEMPERATURES IN THE
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE SURROUNDING FOOTHILLS ARE EXPECTED TO
RANGE FROM 99 TO 105 DEGREES. THE HOT WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO
PERSIST AT LEAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

EVEN IN THE MOUNTAINS HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE SUMMER LIKE...AND
RANGE FROM THE LOWER TO MID 90S AT 4000 FEET...TO THE 70S AT 8000
FEET.

NIGHTTIME TEMPERATURES IN THE LARGER CITIES COULD ALSO BE CLOSE TO
RECORD HIGH MINIMUMS. HOWEVER WITH A DRY AIRMASS IN PLACE AND
LONGER NIGHTS...MOST VALLEY AND LOWER FOOTHILL TEMPERATURES SHOULD
DROP INTO THE 60S AT NIGHT.

NOT QUITE AS HOT THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS THE HIGH PRESSURE AREA
BEGINS TO WEAKEN...BUT IT STILL COULD BE WELL ABOVE NORMAL.

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It's going to be darn hot in southern Cali too -- temps in the 110's .

Megan and I are headed to Tucson next week, much more temperate there....

So, looking good for a very long fall in the Yosemite area!

Mark

Temperatures at an elevation of almost 10,000ft are expected to be in the mid to high 60's[F] this week, and in the valley getting into the 80's [F]. What a great time to visit the park, wow !

Mind you, we also know that those winter storms can hit hard and fast anytime from now !

Dave.