• View of Half Dome and Washington Column in Yosemite Valley

    Yosemite

    National Park California

Tioga and Glacier Point Roads Plowing Update

Snow plows working on the Tioga Road

Tioga Road plowing, April 25, 2013

Last update: May 14, 2013


Glacier Point Road: Opened on May 3.

Tioga Road: Opened May 11.


Dates listed above are contingent upon safety of the park crews and on conditions. Any spring storms would result in road crews being diverted to keeping other roads open and may delay opening of the Tioga and/or Glacier Point Roads.

(View a list of opening dates from previous years.)

 

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.

 

Did You Know?

View of Yosemite Valley from the Wawona Tunnel Vista.

Rockfall events have helped shape many of the outstanding features along Yosemite Valley's walls, including Royal Arches, North Dome, and Half Dome. Giant talus slopes that slant away from the Valley walls accumulate debris with each rockfall event.