Competition. Tioga Pass Prognosticator 23. Spring Opening 2017.

Me thinks you'd want to have snow goggles up there today!
http://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog/...nel_032817.jpg
Photo courtesy of the The Yosemite Conservancy March 28th, at 12:45 pm PDT

It will be interesting to see how badly damaged those treeline trees are after this year.

My June roadtrip takes me to Tioga pass next 11th of June and we really don't have high hopes that it'll be opened by then. Anyway fingers crossed, hoping for a hot spring and to have better luck with highway 108

Another top up of snow is forecast for the high ground in the Sierra's with heavy snowfall forecast throughout Friday.

From the National weather centre.

Quote:

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* LOCATIONS...The Sierra Nevada from the Tulare and Kern County
line north to Yosemite National Park above 7000 feet.

* Snow Levels: Snow levels will initially be around or above 7000 feet
Friday before rising to 8000 - 9000 feet in the afternoon,
especially south of Kings Canyon. On Saturday morning snow levels
will fall again to 5000-6000 feet.

* HAZARD TYPES...Snow and blowing snow.

* ACCUMULATIONS...Between 2 and 3 feet above 7000 feet.

* TIMING...Heaviest snow fall will be late tonight through early
Saturday morning.

---

Still waiting to see what the snow survey report for April 1st reveals for the year, but the depth of snow at Tioga entry station is reported to be about 16feet deep and around 9feet in Tuolumne Meadows.

Fresh layer of snow on the bumpy snow from yesterday:
http://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog/...l-04-07-17.jpg
Photo courtesy of The Yosemite Conservancy -- April 7th at 8:55 am PDT

I have copied this info from Yosemite's facebook page.

Quote:

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The April snow survey results are in! The highest elevations of the park have more than twice as much snow as usual, with new records near Tioga Pass (213%) and Vogelsang (217%). While snowpack is a little lighter at the mid-elevations, overall snowpack is at 177% of average in the Tuolumne basin and 168% in the Merced basin. At Tenaya Lake the snowpack is at 203% of average.

---

That's certainly welcome news after so many years of drought and they are estimating that Mono Lake could rise by 3.8feet in the coming year.

Dave.

The crews have been working on the clearing of Glacier point road, but no reports that they have started on Tioga as yet. (Normally work starts around this time of year.) It looks as though they have one of the biggest challenges on their hands for a number of years, cutting through 8feet of snow in places and tackling numerous downed trees.

Plowing along Glacier point road to Sentinel dome parking area.
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...pscfvxumeg.jpg

Dave.

The road crews are mobilizing equipment to begin plowing along the Tioga Road, but this in itself is causing delays as they are having to drive the heavy machinery around a long detour because of the closure on Big Oak Flat road.

Crews have reached Glacier point parking lot but there is a lot of work to be done in widening the road out and removing hazardous trees along the way.

Dave.

The "Hump" is gone for another year, I would expect.

Those trees look a little "hammered" as well.
http://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog/...l-04-23-17.jpg
Photo courtesy of the Yosemite Conservancy. April 23rd at 6:30 pm PDT.

Plowing crews have reached White Wolf from the west side of the Tioga Road! They are plowing through six to eight feet of very wet snow and are progressing about a half mile most days. Advance avalanche crews are working at Olmsted Point (one of the major avalanche zones along the road)

http://go.nps.gov/1g93kk.

Thanks for the update !

Yes they are steadily making progress but usually at this point they are just cutting an opening through the road. Once that is completed they then have to start the widening of the road and clear fallen trees and rocks from the road. This slows the crews as with a deep snow pack they can't always see what's there and are mindful not to damage the equipment.

Dave