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Yosemite National Park Merced River
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Yosemite National Park
Tioga and Glacier Point Roads Opening & Closing Dates
Plow clearing the Tioga Road; snowbanks on both sides of road
Clearing of the Tioga Road begins on or about April 15 each year and usually takes between one and two months. Predicting when these roads will open is not possible, even in late spring, because April and May weather significantly affects plowing progress. (April 1 snowpack (water content of the snowpack as a percent of average) for the Tuolumne drainage is listed as a reference.)

View Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road plowing updates (beginning around April 15 each year).

* - Indicates unique periods of re-opening the road (see below table for corresponding information).

 

 Tioga Road Glacier Point Mariposa Grove Snowpack

Year  

 Opened  Closed

Opened 

Closed 

Opened

 Closed  as of Apr. 1
2011 June 18
 Jan 17, 2012
 May 27
 Nov 19**
 Apr 15
 ? 178%
2010
 June 5
 Nov 19
 May 29
 Nov 7
 Mar 26/
May 21
 Nov 20 107%
2009
 May 19
 Nov 12
 May 5
 Nov 12
  92%
2008
 May 21
 Oct 30
 May 2
 Dec 12
  99%
2007
 May 11
 Dec 6
 May 4
 Dec 6
  46%
2006
 Jun 17
 Nov 27
 May 25
 Nov 27
  129%
2005
 Jun 24
 Nov 25
 May 25
 ?
  163%
2004
 May 14
 Oct 17
 May 14
 ?
  83%
2003
 May 31
 Oct 31
 May 31
 Oct 31
  65%
2002
 May 22
 Nov 5
 May 17
 Nov 5
  95%
2001
 May 12
 Nov 11
 May 15
 ?
  67%
2000
 May 18
 Nov 9
 May 15
 Nov 9
  97%
1999
 May 28
 Nov 23*
 May 28
 Nov 23
  110%
1998
 Jul 1
 Nov 12
 Jul 1
 Nov 6
  156%
1997
 Jun 13
 Nov 12
 May 22
 Nov 12
  105%
1996
 May 31
 Nov 5
 May 24
 Nov 5
  111%
1995
 Jun 30
 Dec 11
 Jul 1
 Dec 11
  178%
1994
 May 25
 Nov 10


  51%
1993
 Jun 3
 Nov 24


  159%
1992
 May 15
 Nov 10


  58%
1991
 May 26
 Nov 14


  79%
1990
 May 17
 Nov 19


  45%
1989
 May 12
 Nov 24


  83%
1988
 Apr 29
 Nov 14


  31%
1987
 May 2
 Nov 13


  51%
1986
 May 24
 Nov 29


  137%
1985
 May 8
 Nov 12


  97%
1984
 May 19
 Nov 8


  85%
1983
 Jun 29
 Nov 11


  224%
1982
 May 28
 Nov 15


  131%
1981
 May 15
 Nov 12


  77%
1980
 Jun 6
 Dec 2


  144%

*Re-opened December 23, 1999 - January 1, 2000.

**Re-opened December 16, 2011 - Januray 17, 2012?

Caltrans has a list of recent closing and opening dates for other passes in the Sierra Nevada.

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El Portal Boulder Bar

Did You Know?
At the east end of El Portal, just west of Yosemite National Park’s boundary, changing river gradients, glacial history, and powerful floods have created a boulder bar with boulders much larger than typically found in such deposits. This is no ordinary boulder bar, however, for it contains massive boulders over a meter in diameter and weighing many tons.

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Last Updated: February 06, 2012 at 16:04 MST