Once plowing of the Tioga Road is completed, additional work must be completed before the road can safely be opened.
Factors affecting plowing operations:
- Avalanche zones (26 potential areas). The Olmsted Point avalanche zone requires a lot of work, including application of charcoal over the snow to help with melting and blasting the snow slab to make it safer for personnel.
- Heavy snow pack slows the whole operation.
- Trees that have fallen across the road and been buried in the snow. These can cause substantial damage to the equipment and result in a stop to all operations until they're cleared.
- Rock slides buried by the snow. These can cause substantial damage to the equipment and result in a stop to all operations.
- Snow storms during the opening require a stop to Tioga Road operations and in order to plow and sand the park roads.
- Road repairs and ditching and brushing operations once snow has melted back enough.
The video below provides a quick overview of what the plowing operations are like on the Tioga Road.
