Winter Rite of Passage: Tioga Pass Prognosticator #12

[Lifemagician]

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

[Mark Sedenquist]

That does sound like a memorable Christmas. Glad you're OK.

Mark

[Mark Sedenquist]

Look at this view taken at 1:30 pm PST on Christmas Day:

Photo Courtesy of Yosemite Conservancy

[Southwest Dave]

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.

[Mark Sedenquist]

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...


Mark

[Southwest Dave]

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.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Recapping those still current....

December 29th at 8:30 am.....Mark Sedenquist
January 1st at 3: 00 pm..........CAnative
January 4th at 4:00 pm.........glc
January 6th at Noon.....Mark Sedenquist

Mark

I'm throwing in a new dart.... January 27th at noon

[glc]

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?

[Mark Sedenquist]

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.

Mark

[glc]

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.