The lower Tioga Road gate on Highway 120, 4 miles from Highway 395, is open and the road is accessible as far as the Yosemite National Park entrance 12 miles up the road. As of Friday evening, Caltrans didn’t even have its Website updated yet–it was last updated for this highway on May 13th. See it here on monolake.org first!

The snow at the pass is very firm, and averages 5-10 feet deep. Watch for rocks on the road. It has newly painted lines as far as Blue Slide!

The road is still closed within the park, however efforts are being made to open it by Memorial Day weekend.

With 12 inches of new snow at Tioga Pass from last night’s late-season snowstorm, the lower gate on Highway 120 West has been closed temporarily. Visitors can drive only four miles west of Highway 395 on the Tioga Road before reaching the closed gate. However, it’s likely that the gate will open later today or within a few days [...]

All three passes are typically open by Memorial Day weekend, but it might not be the case this year due to the long winter. More snow is expected this week above 6,000 ft.

All three passes are typically open by Memorial Day weekend, but it might not be the case this year due to the long winter. More snow is expected this week above 6,000 ft.

NWS wrote:CAZ096-261900-
/O.EXT.KHNX.WS.W.0014.000000T0000Z-100528T1200Z/
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
400 AM PDT WED MAY 26 2010

...WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM PDT FRIDAY ABOVE
5000 FEET...

THE WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 5000 FEET IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL
5 AM PDT FRIDAY FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO
KINGS CANYON.

* IMPACTS: TRAVEL WILL BECOME HAZARDOUS ABOVE 5000 FEET INCLUDING
TRAVEL INTO YOSEMITE ALONG HIGHWAY 41...HIGHWAY 168 FROM SHAVER
LAKE TO HUNTINGTON LAKE...AND DINKEY CREEK ROAD INTO WISHON.
OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS TRAVELING TO THE SOUTHERN SIERRA SHOULD BE
PREPARED FOR DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS.

* SNOW LEVELS: ABOVE 6000 FEET TODAY...BUT WILL STEADILY DROP
BEGINNING TONIGHT...AND LOWER DOWN TO 4500 FEET THURSDAY NIGHT.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: UP TO 4 INCHES AT 5000 FEET THURSDAY
NIGHT...AND UP TO A FOOT OF NEW SNOW ABOVE 7000 FEET FROM
TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS LIKELY
AROUND YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK.

* TIMING: A LULL IN THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TODAY WITH ONLY SCATTERED
LIGHT SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY. BY LATE TONIGHT...HOWEVER...SNOW
WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY AND COVERAGE...AND CONTINUE AT TIMES
THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. SNOW MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES THURSDAY
AFTERNOON AND NIGHT.

* LOCATIONS INCLUDE: YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK INCLUDING TUOLUMNE
MEADOWS AND TENAYA LAKE...HUNTINGTON LAKE...SHAVER LAKE...AND
WISHON.

* WINDS: SOUTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH OVER THE
RIDGES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL
MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

&&

$$

JMB

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

fish4dinner wrote:Tioga Road:
The Tioga Road will not be open for Memorial Day weekend; there is no estimated opening date

life sucks this weekend

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tioga.htm

deungsan wrote:Dumb question...

Does this closure affect access to the Mt. Dana trailhead from the east (via 395)?

Thanks.

Thick sheets of ice on Olmsted Point in Yosemite means Tioga Pass will remain closed for the Memorial Day holiday. The Eastern Sierra always pushes to have the pass open since it is the passageway for tourists to the Eastside from the Westside.

Yosemite Ranger Scott Gediman said that crews did actually plow the whole way through Tioga Road, but avalanche concerns at Olmsted Point have blocked the official opening. Gediman said crews have used charcoal to melt the ice and dynamite to blast it away, but he said all of the ice must slide off before conditions are safe.

kovarpa wrote:looks like Sonora is open.

Alpinist wrote:

kovarpa wrote:looks like Sonora is open.

Yep!

NPS wrote:Bicyclists may travel on the Tioga Road from Crane Flat to Olmsted Point (but not to Tuolumne Meadows).

Note: Sonora Pass (Highway 108) and Ebbetts Pass (Highway 4), north of Yosemite, opened for the season on May 28.