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Not exactly - that page shows the dates they closed for the winter. On the regular road conditions page, Sonora shows as closed due to snow, not closed for the winter. The 3 that you are showing as being closed show as closed for the winter on the regular page.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist
Actually, that page shows the dates that the specified road passes were closed for the winter closures. What's remarkable about this year, is that's I've never seen Ebbets close when it wasn't also the winter season closure.
In any case, were in the record books now -- I don't remember any closing for the season for Tioga this late in December! We passed the latest former closing today!
Mark
Well if the road doesn't close and therefore doesn't open, then wouldn't the current Reigning Chief Prognosticator continue to retain the title :)
A newbie Q. The Cal Trans and YNP dates differ for a given year. Are they selecting their own dates or are they referring to the sections of the highway they control/ maintain?
Oh boy! That's something Sheriff Dave will have to rule on!Quote:
Originally Posted by CAnative
There is absolutely nothing in the 7 day forecast to suggest it will be closed prior to the 29th December !! As Mark said, it's kinda scary !
Due to uncertainty and recent questions, I have been pondering some changes for clarification.
I was thinkng of a rule change ? If it doesn't close by midnight on December 31st we should go back to the last closure date during 2011. Now let me check...........Hang on a minute........................that would be on December 12th around 4pm...................Hmm, let me see.................December 12th @4pm................Surprise, surpriise, It's ME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, okay, calm down. Only kidding !! lol.
Jessica, you will always reign as the Spring 2011 Opening Supreme Prognosticator ! ;-)Quote:
Originally posted by CAnative] Well if the road doesn't close and therefore doesn't open, then wouldn't the current Reigning Chief Prognosticator continue to retain the title :)
Ya know, it is possible to recall sheriffs....for misfeasance (just kidding).
If this keeps up I might even be able to DRIVE it on my way out to San Diego this year - and I'm not leaving till right after New Year's........
In that case, we'll look forward to a photo proving that the road is open.Quote:
Originally Posted by glc
Weather forecast: Christmas Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 52. Light and variable wind.
wow.
Mark
Oooops!! I think we might have hijacked your White Christmas.... or at least, I think it tried to. The hail storms left a white carpet all over the deck and lawn and everything else.
(I made a couple of videos of the hail storms but I can't get them to play on my computer.)
We were due to have lunch out on the deck, but ended up in the dining room.
On the way home there were floods everywhere, traffic stranded and neighbours sweeping the water out of their flooded homes and garages. Thankfully, I'm OK.
Never a dull moment.
Have a great day. We did!
Lifey
That does sound like a memorable Christmas. Glad you're OK.
Mark
Look at this view taken at 1:30 pm PST on Christmas Day:
http://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog/...inel-12-25.jpg
Photo Courtesy of Yosemite Conservancy
You would think that shot was taken on a summers day !!
Other than the possibility of a small 'blip' Wednesday night, it looks like we are headed into 2012 with this !!
Edit] Yesterday was the 3rd warmest Christmas day on record here in the UK, although a little drab.
And yesterday less the 1% of the population of the continental USA saw any falling snowflakes. The only place with recorded snowfall was around the Great Lakes and most of that was "lake effect snow". A very dry day!
Just to contrast the photo from December 25, 2011 with this one, taken January 13, 2011...
http://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog/...an_13_2011.jpg
Mark
It looks really settled again over the next 7 days. More unbelievable is that the temps are remaining at around 50F. What makes it more unbelievable is that these temps are forecast for the Tioga pass, at an elevation of almost 9000 feet and not down in the valley!
Dave.
I'm throwing in a new dart.... January 27th at noonQuote:
Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist
The 10 day weather.com forecast for Yosemite has the chance of precip at 20% or less through January 6. Put me down for another one on Friday January 13 (very fitting!) at 4pm.
I'm leaving right after New Year's for California - I think I'm going to try to drive Tioga, Sonora, Ebbetts, and Monitor passes! I will have the date stamp enabled on my camera and will submit proof if I'm successful! Have any of them *EVER* been officially open in January?
I just can't imagine that could have happened -- One day in November a couple of years ago, I drove Sonora, Ebbetts and Monitor in one day. That was very, very cool.Quote:
Originally Posted by glc
Mark
Heck, if I'm going to be in the area I might as well go to Bodie too.
Mark - which is the "best" direction to drive each pass? I have yet to drive ANY of them.
I prefer to travel west-bound over Sonora (mostly because of the dramatic sights seen when reaching the pass from the eastern side in early spring.)
Ebbetts -- Most certainly -- east bound -- Make sure you find a place to stop at the last lake before the pass. There is a cabin on a little island in the middle of the lake that is magical.
Tioga, I've gone both ways, but maybe west-bound is more thrilling.
Monitor Pass -- You gotta go eastbound -- that drop to the desert is thrilling.
For that matter Sherman Pass is pretty dang cool -- and again eastbound and the descent to the desert is memorable.
Mark
I'm gonna throw a third and final dart as there is still no sign of anything about to change.
January 20th @ 4pm !!
I've brought this forward from Marks last re-cap. If it's wrong, blame him ! ;-)
January 4th at 4:00 pm.........glc
January 6th at Noon.....Mark Sedenquist
January 13th at 4pm........glc
January 20th at 4pm....Southwest Dave.
January 27th at noon..Mark Sedenquist
[Odd coincidence ! I just noticed that the last 4 dates are exactly one week apart and on a Friday. It's not gonna close on a Friday then !!]
For George. Are you hitting the road and heading for the pass still ? Looks as though you could be in luck if it's within the next week !! It would still be wise to call ahead and check the status within the park on the Yosemite number. Mornings would be the trickiest as they sometimes keep it closed until overnight ice thaws out during the morning. Sure hope you make it and get some photo's for us to check out. Some recent ones I have seen show an icy Tenaya Lake. Ideal spot to make a quick stop.
Dave.
News reports stated that Squaw Valley and Mammoth Mountain received 2 inches of snow in Dec.
My predicted date has passed again so on to new ones (in 2012).
January 17th at 3 pm.
February 8th at noon.
My plans right now are to hit Tioga this coming Saturday - the 7th. I'm planning on spending Friday night in Carson City and Saturday night in Sonora. A friend of mine is coming up from Modesto early Sunday morning, then we will go to Bodie via Ebbetts and Monitor passes and return via Sonora pass. I just made reservations in the Days Inn in Sonora for Saturday and Sunday nights.
I'm hitting the road in a couple hours - spending the night in Hays KS and having dinner with a friend.
It's looking good so far George !
There are no hazardous weather warnings so far through that period, with highs on Saturday of 40-45F and mostly sunny up at 9000ft. That'll be in the low 50's as you make your way down, Wow !
Starting out from Carson should give that sun some time to work it's magic on any overnight ice that may have formed on the road.
Have a great trip !
Dave.
We heard (second-hand) the open road was very nice 2 or 3 days ago. Envious of your trip and looking forward to photos.
A bit of a setback - I toasted a wheel bearing on the truck today - spend 5 hours sitting around a Ford dealer out in the middle of nowhere in Nebraska. $600 later, I'm back on the road and playing catchup. I have a hotel reservation in Sonora Saturday night that I want to keep. Drove till 8:30 tonight and made it into Laramie, getting up at 6 tomorrow.
Put me down for January 22 (Son's Birthday) at noon if that date hasn't been taken.Quote:
Originally Posted by Southwest Dave
BTW, I saw a trip report on another forum where they showed pictures of people ice skating on Tenaya Lake. Here's a link to the pictures: http://suewallace.zenfolio.com/p1036439552
Utahtea
Sorry to hear that !!
Hope you get a good run today and can play catch up. I guess you could head for Ely for the night and with another early start still make it to Sonora over Tioga pass [via Tonopah and Benton Hot Springs]. Although my mapping program makes it an hour quicker than going via Elko over the 2 days, you do have the option of pushing on further than Elko [maybe as far as Winnemucca?] whereas Ely is isolated and would be your only real option. Another 6am start should put you at the entrance gate around Noon.
It actually looks like unless you can make it to Winnemucca for a shorter distance to Tioga next day, Ely could be your best option.
Ely Motel 6 has reasonable reviews.
Details.
Good luck !Quote:
Motel 6 - Ely #4672
US 93/S 7th Street at Avenue O
770 Avenue O
Ely, NV 89301
(775) 289-6671
Actually I've got 2 days to make it to Carson City - no sweat. If I can hit Wendover by around 3pm, I'll press on to Ely. I've stayed in the Main Motel in Ely before, it's decent - it used to be the Best Western. I'd like to make it to Ely and have dinner in the jail cell, but if I don't, oh well. I do not like driving after dark, especially on open range roads.
By the way, we do talk about hotel coupons here - I used one last night to get a $59 room at the Ramada for $39. This place even has a free full hot breakfast.
I don't know why, I presumed you only had one more overnight stop before Sonora. If Carson is a definite stop then Ely would add 80 to 90 mins of travel time, but Hey ! What's the hurry, you gotta an extra night. lol.
The steak is outstanding at Jail Cell! -- If you can do it -- I highly recommend staying at the Old Nevada Hotel -- it really is a cool place.
Mark
With no end in sight another re-cap.
Jan 6 @ Noon......Mark Sedenquist.
Jan 13 @ 4pm .......glc
Jan 17 @ 3pm........CAnative
Jan 20 @ 4pm......Southwest Dave.
Jan 22 @ Noon......Utahtea
Jan 27 @ Noon.....Mark Sedenquist
Feb 8 @ Noon.......CAnative.
This is well into unknown territory, having gone well passed the latest recorded opening on record.
I just made it into Ely. I'm at the Main Motel - the hotel may be cool but I prefer motels where I can park right in front of my door! I've stayed here before and I've eaten at the Jail Cell too.
This weather all the way across has been unreal - unseasonably warm, dry, and sunny. It's 53 degrees in Ely and it's almost 5pm, the sun is behind the mountain. However, it's supposed to snow tomorrow night here! There is absolutely NOTHING in the forecast for the Sierras for the next 10 days. That doesn't bode well for the water supply out there this coming summer.
Are you allowing two guesses per person or are these for their spouses?Quote:
Originally Posted by Southwest Dave
If so, I'll pick Feb. 6th @ Noon for my DH ;)
Feb 6, 1976 it snowed in the San Francisco Bay Area and a couple of inches stuck to the ground. Then it snowed again 13 years to the day but didn't stick.
Utahtea
I asked for a weather station for Christmas, one with a wind and a rain gauge.
Since I expressed that desire (and installed the one Santa brought me); no rain, and next to no wind.
Must be me.
With that, I'm going to select March 21, 2012 (3:21pm) as my next guess. That should put it far enough out that my weather station will be out of warrantee if it turns out the rain gauge doesn't work.
Meanwhile, where did I put those bricks that used to sit in the toilet tanks?
For almost a decade, during the long drought which ended two years ago, it was almost mandatory. But I know where mine are... waiting for the next drought.Quote:
Originally Posted by CalOldBlue
Lifey
Bricks in the toilet is only a precursor. Since I'm spending a good deal of time in Los Angeles at the moment, I'm pretty appalled with the complete lack of water conservation on the part of the people who live here. In Las Vegas, we've been on mandatory water rationing for over a decade. About 95% of the water that is wasted here by local Angelenos is piped here from Nevada and northern California.
March 21st eh? Wow, I wonder if we ever had a year where it never closed?
Mark
I was wondering the same thing about the pass not closing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist
If we're picking March Dates I want March 8 at Noon. ;)
Utahtea
{edited - thanks Lifey for the reminder....PS...your in box is full so I couldn't send you a private message)
This is part of a press release I just received....
According to the California Department of Water Resources, a snow survey on Jan. 3, 2012, suggests one of the lowest mountain snowpacks on record for the date.
The statewide snowpack's water content was found to be 19 percent of the Jan. 3 average and only 7 percent of the average April 1 average. The snowpack is usually at its peak early in April before melting in the spring.
Mountain snow that melts in the spring and summer accounts for about 1/3 of the water for California's households, farms and industries reported the California DWR.
The good news, is that last year's snowpack was extra heavy and so the prospects for a healthy water table from previous year's precipitation is still OK.
While snowfall amounts have been well below normal this season across the Sierra to the mountains of Utah, snow amounts were above normal across this same area last winter.