Tioga Pass Prognosticator 19. 2015 Spring Opening.

[Southwest Dave]

Tioga Pass Prognosticator # 19

Tioga Pass which is found on California State Route 120 provides the eastern access to Yosemite National Park and is usually the last pass opened to the roadtripping public each Spring. As such, it has become the RTA harbinger for the start of the summer road trip season in the west. For all of those folks who think that Tioga Pass is not a big deal... one of our long-time roadtripper colleagues remembers driving it in the 1930's when it was a single lane, dirt track, with no guardrails and drop-offs on both sides of the road. Clearly, climate change and possibly less funding for the work teams that plow the road, appears to be affecting the Tioga Pass Prognostication "game." There was no official winner of the Chief Prognosticator (TPP) for the Winter Closing 2014 as predictions get trickier.

George Carey, known on the Great American RoadTrip Forum as glc and one of the most active members of this forum is holding the Prognosticator title for correctly predicting the Spring 2014 contest. He is actually a Two-Peat TPP having correctly predicted the opening dates for both Spring, 2013 and Spring, 2014. There is one other member who shares the credit for achieving a two-peat of the TPP. Jessica Beagles-Roos (CAnative) on the forum) correctly identified the opening in Spring, 2011 and the closing during the Winter of 2011. Other members to have won a tank of Roadtrip gas are; Exodus [Brian Shannon], PhilB [Phil Boardman] and wierj. Both George and Jessica have also notched dcTPP notches in their Tioga Pass Prognosticator belts...

There are five dcTPPs [darn close]... Jessica Beagles-Roos CaNative, Don Casey (CalOldBlue), Lynn & Victor [Hotel Charlotte], Kinless, and Sherrif Dave, for their predictive skills in the winter of 2013, 2010 and 2009, and the spring of 2008 & 2007, respectively.

Do you have what it takes to be the new Chief Tioga Pass Prognosticator?

************Forum Moderator, Dave Gomm, (Southwest Dave) is the official Sheriff and Chief Wrangler for this contest and his rulings as to the naming of the winner are final, (& they also could be arbitrary & capricious) Got a beef? Or a question? Take it up with him...

So here's official list of the Prognosticators Extraordinaire To-Date: -- as approved by Sheriff & Chief Wrangler Dave Gomm:

Tioga Pass Prognosticator Winners:

*** tantrum, Spring 2015 Opening

George Carey (glc), Spring 2014 Opening
George Carey (glc), Spring 2013 Opening
Jessica Beagles-Roos (CAnative), Spring 2011 and Winter 2011 (although it actually closed in 2012)
Brian Shannon (Exodus) Spring, 2010
Phil Boardman, (PhilB) Spring 2009
weirj Winter 2008

***and the dcTPP contestants (Darn Close -- Tioga Pass Prognosticator)
*************Jessica Beagles-Roos, (CaNative), Winter 2013
*************George Carey (glc), Spring 2012
*************Sheriff Dave Gomm (Southwest Dave), Winter 2010
*************Don Casey (CalOldBlue), Winter 2009
*************Lynn & Victor (Hotel Charlotte), Spring 2008
*************Joey (Kinless), Spring 2007

Official Tioga Pass Openings in recent years:
2015 May 4th (8 am)
2014 May 2nd (Noon)
2013 May 11th (Noon)
2012 May 7th (Noon)
2011 June 18th (8:45 am)
2010 June 5th (8:00 am)
2009 May 19th (10:30 am)
2008 May 21st (8:00 am)
2007 May 11th (this was an early one!)
2006 June 17th
2005 June 24th
2004 May 14th
2003 May 31st
2002 May 22nd
2001 May 12th

And here are the Yosemite NP's Official opening and closing dates for the last several years.

The "Contest"

You are welcome to use your predictive talents and if you manage to hit the correct date -- the RTA Editorial group will pay for a tank of roadtrip fuel in your personal roadtrip ride. Legal has suggested that we identify what this means.... So, for the record, the prize will be limited to $75.00 USD*

Please read entry rules carefully.
To win this prize, the date must be posted** on this Forum more than or equal to fifteen (15) days prior to the official Tioga Pass Road OPENING date. (**Your "date" must be identified in a post on this thread...**)
* Further, you must identify a particular date in your post.
* Further, you must identify a particular time in your post (date and time is required for the winning entry).
*And if you manage to identify the correct opening time within 60 minutes.... you'll receive an additional surprise gift from RTA.
* A single calendar date can only be claimed by one member. If two or more members chose the same calendar date, and that date proves to be the "Winning Date", the prize will go to the member who "claimed" the date the earliest in this contest period.
*The official date for this Tioga Pass Prognosticator contest tracks with Pacific Time (USA), so no matter what date it might be in your local neighborhood, the date used for this contest will be the same one used by the officials at Yosemite National Park for Tioga Pass.

When you have identified your prediction in your post, please "Ping the Poll" at the top of page (This is done by completing your poll selection).

Previous Predictive Efforts:

Spring Opening 2006
Winter Closing 2006
Spring Opening 2007.
Winter Closing 2007.
Spring Opening 2008.
Winter Closing 2008.
Spring Opening 2009.
Winter Closing 2009.
Spring Opening 2010.
Winter Closing 2010.
Spring Opening 2011.
Winter Closing 2011.
Spring Opening 2012.
Winter Closing 2012.
Spring Opening 2013.
Winter Closing 2013.
Spring Opening 2014.
Winter Closing 2014.

Here you can monitor the weather live from 5 different webcams in Yosemite NP.

Click here to see what Half Dome looks like when it's snowing !

Past honorees with their POG photos: (Proof of Gas...)


GEORGE CAREY is the TPP for 2014 -- shown with his road trip ride on June 15, 2014.


2013 TPP is George Carey (glc) shown posing above with this RoadTrip Ride at the local Conoco station.


JESSICA BEAGLES-ROO, (CAnative): Winter Closing 2011 Tioga Pass Prognosticator


JESSICA BEAGLES-ROO, (CAnative): 2011 Spring Opening Tioga Pass Prognosticator


BRIAN SHANNON, (Exodus): 2010 Spring Opening Tioga Pass Prognosticator


PHIL BOARDMAN, (PhilB): 2009 Spring Opening Tioga Pass Prognosticator

And here you can monitor current conditions from 5 Web cams in Yosemite NP.

And this is a very cool page -- it lists the opening and closing dates for other high Sierra Nevada passes, which might give you an edge as predict this year's dates.... (Produced by Caltrans).

By the way, click here to see what Half Dome looks like when snow is falling....

Happy Predicting!

Sheriff Dave and the Great American RoadTrip Forum Staff

[Southwest Dave]

......and there is some on the way according to the forecast, but look how bare Half Dome looks.



....and even Badger Ski area looks in need of the 'white stuff'.



And Yosemite Falls are flowing.



I am going to throw the first dart and aim for May 9th @ 3pm

[tantrum]

May 4th 2pm

[Mark Sedenquist]

Sheriff Dave,

Thanks for getting this thread operational!

May 12th at 8:30 am

[Lifemagician]

3rd May, noon.

[DonnaR57]

April 15, noon.

[Southwest Dave]

Wow ! That would be a record breaker I think Donna and not good for the water table. Perhaps you know something we don't. ;-)

[Subman]

We might be driving this road in mid-May, so I hope it's open by then..

May 2nd - 2pm.

[Mark Sedenquist]

This looks more like May, instead of February 13th

Photo courtesy of the Yosemite Conservancy

[glc]

Where is the snow!

In the Northeast!