Tioga Pass will not open this year

According to sources, Tioga Pass road (Hwy 120) will not open to the public this year due to heavy snowfall and difficulties in removing the snow.

I have never heard of this happening before but I know plenty of folks who will be disappointed that they won't be visiting Tuolomne Meadows this year.

https://kmph.com/news/local/tyoga-road-in-yosemite-national-park-closed-for-the-season-covered-with-snow-tioga-pass-white-wolf-atmoshpheric-river-crane-flat-glacier-point-road

"

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (FOX26) — Tioga Road in Yosemite National Park will remain closed for the season due to snow.

Glacier Point Road is also closed due to snow.

Both roads will reopen later than usual this summer because of the excessive amount of snow that fell during one of the wettest winters California has seen in a century."

So is it going to remain close or reopen later then normal xD......

NPS site does not confirm this report. A later than usual opening is obviously expected. But no report yet of no opening. That seems unlikely and hard to believe.

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

Tioga Road

May 11, 2023 (updated every Friday)

Plows are 11 miles from the Crane Flat gate (about 3 miles west of White Wolf), plowing through 8 to 11 feet of snow. Three dozers and three blowers are working on the road.

Yosemite had record snowpack (over 240% of average) as of April 1, 2023. In the previous snowiest years, Tioga Road opened in late June or early July. There is no way to provide a more precise estimate for this year.

Tioga Road is typically open to vehicles from late May or June until sometime in November. Plowing typically begins around April 15.

If they weren't going to open it they wouldn't be trying to plow it.

Yeah, your listed source says opening later than expected. I think it is just a poorly written article where “will remain closed the rest of the season” means, “will remain closed this spring until it is cleared”

From the east, caltrans district 9 just hit 9k

I have a friend that’s a superintendent in the park. I asked him if there’s any chance it wouldn’t open this year. He said, “Nah, that shit will open!”

Fake news.

They are also closing all of Yosemite to climbing.  And camp 4.  And the nose. And central pillar of frenzy.  so you may as well stay home.  

Actually central pillar of frenzy is really closed (5/15-5/17) for helicopter rescue practice. Saw the sign today on the climbers trail. 

ryan climbs sometimes wrote:

There’s snow much snow people have seen anything like it. 

 Just snow you snow, they said there's snow chance they aren't opening.

William Leventhal wrote:

According to sources, Tioga Pass road (Hwy 120) will not open to the public this year due to heavy snowfall and difficulties in removing the snow.

I have never heard of this happening before but I know plenty of folks who will be disappointed that they won't be visiting Tuolomne Meadows this year.

https://kmph.com/news/local/tyoga-road-in-yosemite-national-park-closed-for-the-season-covered-with-snow-tioga-pass-white-wolf-atmoshpheric-river-crane-flat-glacier-point-road

I don’t think you understand what the word season means 

Any news on Tioga Pass Resort ?

Gerald Adams wrote:

Any news on Tioga Pass Resort ?

https://www.facebook.com/TiogaPassResort/

Caltrans tweeted that they will also have to clear excess rockfall from the highway.  Looks like they are working hard to open it, it will just be later than usual

The Park service has told hotel owners in Lee Vining as of last week that the pass will be open a few days prior to 4th of July. We shall see!

Makes sense.  I recently got notice that my Tuolumne Meadows Lodge reservations were cancelled because they aren’t opening this year.  

ginger wrote:

I think that might have to do with water table levels and waste systems in the meadows. In the past they haven't opened the meadows campground for that reason.

The water levels definitely play a major role in that decision but it is also Aramark not wanting to spend the costs to operate the Tuolumne Lodge/Store/Grill for such a short season.

Fear Mongerer!
It's 100% going to open.
My guess is late June, early July. If you look that historic Tioga opening dates this tracks well with other über high snow pack years.

I love the idea of sending a hard trad line in the alpine as a boulder problem because the snow level was so high. Calling Jimmy Webb.

https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-9/district-9-popular-links/snow-removal-and-emergency-repair

• May 26, 2023: Maintenance crews trained on a new loader/snow blower this week at the Lee Vining maintenance yard. It is the biggest loader and biggest snow blower in all of Caltrans District 9. On State Route 120 W, crews are roughly 3 miles away from the gate to Yosemite.