Competition time. Tioga Pass Prognosticator 38: Winter closing 2024

It is sleeting in the valley floor right now.

And snow is coming down on the lower slopes (where the webcam for El Capitan is positioned.)

Look at the live shots right now! Lots of LARGE birds in the valley floor camera and clouds are clearing

Sheriff Dave,

Any updates yet?

Mark

Both roads are still closed and there are snow showers forecast throughout the second half of the week. It certainly doesn't look enough to call a Seasonal closure just yet, but it doesn't seem like Tioga pass is going to be open any time soon, if at all!

Dave

With heavy snow possible from Friday, through the weekend and beyond, this is starting to look very much like this could be it for the season. Maybe we will see the return of the 'Hump' on the Webcam image by the beginning of next week!

Dave

I know that that nearly 6 feet of snow is supposed to reach the northern Sierra by tomorrow night, but look how gorgeous it is right now!
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog.../1121_1034.jpg
November 21st at 10:30 am PST (Courtesy of Yosemite Conservancy)

And no humps yet!
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog.../1121_1039.jpg
(Courtesy of Yosemite Conservancy)

Per Yosemite National Park's website, the status of Tioga and Glacier Point Roads has been updated to "closed for the winter." I believe this would put the closing date/time as November 11 at 2:30 pm.

Sounds likely. Now, Sheriff Dave has to make his "semi-official declaration."

Wow, all of the Yosemite web cams seem to be offline.

Mark

The webcams are back.

Where the heck is this massive Cyclone Bomb of snow that is supposed to be here now?

https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog.../1122_1131.jpg
November 22nd at 11:30 am PST -- Courtesy of Yosemite Conservancy

Cameras seem to be offline again,

The time stamp on this image was 7 am. Today.

https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog.../1123_0922.jpg
November 23rd at 07:00 am PST -- Courtesy of Yosemite Conservancy

As liam2k04 mentioned above, both the Tioga pass and Glacier point road are closed for the season, and it appears that they both closed on November 11 @2:30pm. We will wait and see if we get an official verdict for now, but I have noted that the Official Opening and closing page on the Yosemite website hasn't updated the 2024 Spring opening yet!

Looking at the weather forecast and seeing what is coming over the next few days I can see why they called it! There is an Urgent weather winter weather message in force.

Quote:

---

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Hanford CA
1137 AM PST Sat Nov 23 2024

CAZ323-326>331-240345-
/O.CON.KHNX.WS.W.0013.000000T0000Z-241127T0000Z/
Yosemite NP outside of the valley-Upper San Joaquin River-Kaiser
to Rodgers Ridge-Kings Canyon NP-Grant Grove Area-Sequoia NP-
South End of the Upper Sierra-
Including the cities of Florence Lake, Devils Postpile, Shaver
Lake, Cedar Grove, Lake Wishon, Huntington Lake, Hume Lake,
Lodgepole, Tuolumne Meadows, Grant Grove, Johnsondale, Giant
Forest, Lake Thomas Edison, and Wawona
1137 AM PST Sat Nov 23 2024

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST TUESDAY...

* WHAT...Heavy snow above 6500 feet. Total snow accumulations
between 10 and 24 inches possible. High elevation snow up to 4
feet. Winds could gust as high as 50 mph.

* WHERE...A portion of central California.

* WHEN...Until 4 PM PST Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will
likely become slick and hazardous. Travel could be very difficult
to impossible. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce
visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday
morning and evening commutes.

---

Dave