Traveling through Yosemite in the winter.

Hello all, I'm taking a roadtrip with my partner for christmas and have never been to Yosemite. We're looking at driving through there from the west side and I was wondering what driving through it in the winter through snow conditions was like. Any information on this would be awesome, thank you!

Do you mean into and out of the valley? Or through the whole park via hwy 120 and tuolumne meadows. 120 is closed last I checked and likely closed till may now. If you're just heading to the valley just check weather. The valley floor isn't very high so it doesn't snow there very often although it does several times per year. Where are you coming from?

Yeah, you can't cross over the Sierra through Yosemite in the winter. But you can come into Yosemite Valley in the winter from the west side and exit via the west side.

Regardless of which route you take, you should probably carry chains. If you come over Highway 41, you go up to about 7,000 feet before you drop into the Valley. That is where you would most likely need chains. Coming over from Highway 140 stays at a lower elevation and would be less likely to need chains.

Of course, it's possible you wouldn't need chains at all (carry them, though). This is California.

FrankPS wrote:Yeah, you can't cross over the Sierra through Yosemite in the winter.

And if you're intending to head east from Yosemite, you'll need to go fairly far north or south from Yosemite on the west side to cross over the Sierra. Basically either down to Bakersfield or north to US 50 and South Lake Tahoe.
SR 4, 89, 108, and 120 are all closed in the winter.

dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/clsd…

Edit: corrected original SR80 typo to the proper SR89

You mean hwy 88 I think.

Watch the weather and depending on forecast you can get away without chains. We do have an El Niño forecast but last year roads were bone dry most of the winter. Also depends on what kind of vehicle you'll be in.

SRB25 wrote:You mean hwy 88 I think.

Thanks for the catch. Actually it's SR89 that that closes over Monitor Pass. I believe SR88 stays open.

Corrected my post.

Wow! Thanks for all of the replies and help. Well, I'm coming from denver, going down south across to flagstaff, and from there my plans are pretty up in the air. I drive a toyota Matrix no 4WD, it does handle very well in the snow though. So I suppose I'd look for the easiest way to get in and out of the valley. I've never been but am planning on climbing it, so I'd love to check it out.

Yosemite Valley isn't always climbable around Christmas, even if you can get in. Check the weather...

I'm not planning on climbing it in the winter. Just want to see it :)

Well, sometimes it is actually climbable around Christmas...

FrankPS wrote:Yeah, you can't cross over the Sierra through Yosemite in the winter.

Oh yes one can. Ya just need skis. The classic tour is Mammoth Lakes to Yosemite Valley.

For the OP check the road conditions the tend to be highly variable: nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/…

As for climbing, like the roads highly variable. But if the sun is out one can find some fun.