Competition time ! The 34th Tioga pass prognosticator. Winter closing.

[Southwest Dave]

Here's the first snow to settle captured by Yosemite's High Sierra webcam.



And a warning of whats to come from the National weather service !!

Winter Storm Watch
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Hanford CA
1228 PM PDT Thu Nov 3 2022

CAZ323-326-040400-
/O.NEW.KHNX.WS.A.0004.221106T2000Z-221109T1800Z/
Yosemite NP outside of the valley-Upper San Joaquin River-
Including the cities of Tuolumne Meadows, Wawona,
Devils Postpile, Florence Lake, and Lake Thomas Edison
1228 PM PDT Thu Nov 3 2022

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
WEDNESDAY MORNING...

* WHAT...Heavy snow possible. Total snow accumulation of 2 to 3
feet. Isolated amounts of 4 feet of snow above 8000 feet.
Westerly winds could gust as high as 50 mph.

* WHERE...Yosemite NP outside of the valley and Upper San
Joaquin River.

* WHEN...From Sunday afternoon through Wednesday morning.

* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult to impossible. The
hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening
commute. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Hikers and campers could face life
threatening conditions due to heavy snow, strong wind, and
freezing cold temperatures.

If you are travelling to Yosemite be sure to keep updated on current conditions, snowchains could be required and other road closures are possible.

Dave.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Heavy storms on the way -- I bet the road is closed for good by tomorrow night!

Mark

[Mark Sedenquist]

Snow is showing on most of the roads in the Sierras. And it looks pretty snowy at the Yosemite Valley.

check out the snow in the Web cam of Yosemite Falls!

Mark

[Southwest Dave]

All I could see for the last couple of days from the High Sierra webcam was a whited out screen. Now it's showing a significant amount of new snow has fallen.



Looks to me like it's going to be a permanent closure, it's just a case of when they call it !

Dave

[glc]

I think you are right. Caltrans says 120 (Tioga), 108 (Sonora) and 89 (Monitor) are closed due to "winter closure". 4 (Ebbetts) has been "closed to traffic" since 11/1.

[Southwest Dave]

Although Yosemite 'Alerts' page are still declaring it as a Temporary closure the official 'Opening and closing' pages have confirmed it as closed for the season on October 31st. Unfortunately no one got close this year, Mass Tim correctly predicting an early closure but still 8 days out ! Since the start of the Pandemic there seems to be no effort to keep the road open later into the season as they once did so perhaps this is the new 'normal'. So there we have it, at least until we start the next contest to predict when it may open for the 2023 road trip season.

For anyone planning to visit Yosemite in the summer of 2023 you may be pleased to learn that reservations will not be required !

Dave.

[Midwest Michael]

For anyone planning to visit Yosemite in the summer of 2023 you may be pleased to learn that reservations will not be required !

I'll say, I might be in the minority, but I generally thought the reservation systems were a net positive. I haven't visited Yosemite since they started using them, but I did visit Rocky Mountain NP with the timed entry restrictions and really enjoyed having a more limited number of people in the parks.

Noting the last time I was at Yosemite about 5 years ago, the traffic jams were pretty insane, and as I was leaving, the line of cars waiting to get into the park was close to 2 miles long, Yosemite feels like a place that would have benefited from keeping the timed entry in place long term.

[Southwest Dave]

I'll say, I might be in the minority, but I generally thought the reservation systems were a net positive.

I tend to agree even though a PITA for those touring without wanting to be tied down to dates. As we travel off season we have not experienced the congestion but it's not hard to imagine it impacting on the enjoyment and management of the park. The reason Yosemite held onto the reservation system for 2022 was because of key areas being closed for repairs, creating less space to explore in. They are looking for new ways to combat the growing visitor numbers and the effect it has on visitor experience and the habitat.

From Yosemite Facebook page.

Yosemite has been grappling with congestion—even gridlock—for decades. We want to build from the lessons learned from the last three summers of managed access. Look for an announcement in December, when we'll start seeking your help to design an approach that provides a great visitor experience while protecting Yosemite's natural and cultural resources.

A huge responsibility and difficult balancing act in protecting these natural wonders while trying to let as many people enjoy them as possible.

Dave

[Mark Sedenquist]

And I agree too.

The days are long past where people can expect to enter a national park (or any concert venue) without a ticket.

Mark

[Southwest Dave]

Well it's certainly looking a lot like winter for the rest of the week !! It's possible that the high points along Tioga pass could see 5 foot of snow accumulation laying on the ground by Sunday evening ! With heavy snow and winds gusting up to 50mph along crests and through canyons it sounds pretty treacherous out !

It's just the beginning of this batch of winter weather and already the 'Hump' is starting to show in the bottom right of this picture from the High Sierra webcam.



Dave.