Photo galleries of snow conditions and plow operations
Map for route around the park when the park highway is closed
Spring Road Clearing
NPS Photo Road Opening ProcessThe park highway will open to through traffic once the final section between Bumpass Hell and Devastated Area is cleared, rockfalls are cleared, and all lingering ice is melted. The road opening process may be delayed by late snow storms as well as other factors including:
2017 Road Clearing Operator LogLog updates are posted when reports are received from operators in the field. The latest update may not reflect the current status. The road crew works Monday through Thursday, 10 hours per day.April 4 - Tuesday, Snow removal from the Manzanita Lake Campground loops started today. This will likely take the remainder of this week to complete. Weather permitting, next week we will start on the main road towards Devastated area and hope to have it completed by around the 21st. If all goes well and the weather works with us, we hope to start at the southwest entrance at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center around May 1. April 18 - Snow clearing to Devastated Area from Manzanita Lake was relatively smooth, with just a couple of snowstorms delaying progress slightly. The average snowdepth was about 5 feet. The road will open to the Devastated Area soon pending some parking area clean-up and restroom preparation. Also, after clearing a large tree which fell blocking the road to the Manzanita Lake boat launch, the parking lot and launch are now open. Stay tuned... May 5 - After staging equipment to get ready for clearing at the southwest entrance from the Visitor Center, we began on Wednesday May 3. We started digging through about 11 feet of snow. In two days, we only were able to clear about 200 yards. We will resume Monday morning... May 21 - On 5/12 the crew rounded Diamond point and gained the first views of Lassen Peak. Check out the Facebook Live recording of us at work! For the week of 5/15, the crew paused work on the park highway to clear the Warner Valley road (which is closed to vehicles at the park boundary until the road dries sufficiently) and assist with seasonal water treatment operations. We will be returning to Windy point on Monday, 5/22. May 27 - The crew is making slow, but steady progress, working our way into a more difficult section of the road. We ended the week at the lower switchbacks at Little Hot Springs Valley, about 1 mile from Diamond Point. It takes three opeartors in three different machines moving snow to expose bare pavement. The lead bulldozer, pushes snow off the park highway. A second bulldozer pushes off an additional layer down to about 4 feet above the pavement. The rotary blower then clears the final layer of snow. We will resume Tuesday. May 30. Have a safe and fun weekend! June 3 - We worked our way to the upper switchback above Little Hot Springs Valley this week, about another mile beyond the lower switchback. The snow is getting deeper as we push up in elevation. It is about 10 - 12 feet at this spot. Also, there are a lot of trees fallen across the road slowing progress. Monday, we will begin the treacherous Emerald side hill. Stay tuned... June 10 - A lot has happened since our last post! Yesterday, the road to Warner Valley opened. It has received a bit more damage from runoff this year than prior years. Consequently, there are deep potholes and washouts up to 6 inches. Also a bit of washbording. Low-clearance vehicles are not advised. Trailers and RVs may also experience difficulty. Please drive slow to help preserve the road and your vehicle! Along the main park highway we cleared through Emerald Side Hill in two days without any problems and are working our way toward Bumpass Hell parking area. Despite the amount of snow, progress has been steady. Check out the Facebook live recording. June 17 - We made it about a mile and a half from the Emerald side hill to the Bumpass Hell parking lot this week. There is about 10 feet of snow there. Also, we will decide next week if we will work on clearing the parking area or push ahead on the road. It could be more helpful to push ahead on the road and allow the sun to do some of the work in melting before returning to the parking area. There will be an update next week on the decision. If you want to see Lake Helen, expect a snowy sight! Not even the edges of the lake have melted yet. June 24 - After a delay with equipment breakdown, we are now working at the deepest snow on the road, the Lake Helen drift and approaching the road summit at 8,512 feet.There is about 35 to 40 feet in the drift this year! We haven't seen that amount since 2006! Our We were hoping to have the entire road completed by Independance weekend, but now our estimate of completion with road clearing is mid-July. 
NPS Photo When Will the Highway Open to Through Traffic?The park highway encompasses 30 miles of stunning views through twisty hair pin corners, high elevations and steep grades. To attempt road clearing throughout winter would be impossible and extremely hazardous for plow operators and drivers. The park highway traverse avalanche prone slopes with up to 2,000 foot drops and can hold a snowpack up to 40 feet deep. With the park's high elevation and exposed passes, ice and blowing snow would be a constant issue. Clearing of the park highway usually begins in April and continues for about two months before the road opens to through traffic. Predicting when the road will open is not possible, even in late spring, because weather in April and May can affect plowing progress significantly. See the chart below for opening and closing dates since 1980. Spring Road Opening Dates - 1980 to Present
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Last updated: June 25, 2017