Yosemite National Park Tuolumne Meadows Winter Conditions

Above, my drive through Tuolumne Meadows last year. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Winter conditions are now in place at Yosemite National Park's Tuolumne Meadows. This is in stark contrast to the dry-as-a-bone conditions in Los Angeles.

According to the Sierra Sun Times:

December 21, 2017 - Yosemite National Park Tuolumne Meadows Winter Conditions Update for December 20, 2017.  

Ski Conditions and Weather: The winter rangers are back for lucky season number seven! This is our first post of the 2017-18 season. As we skied away from Tuolumne Meadows down the depths of Lee Vining Canyon last April, it finally set in what an intense winter we had experienced first hand. Now that we’re back, we look at everything from a new perspective with a mere six inches on the ground here in Tuolumne Meadows. Presently, the Tioga Road east of the park is bare from Lee Vining gate to gaylor blog Laura and Rob Pilewski Tuolumne Winter RangersEllery Lake. Beyond there one can either walk and/or ski along the edges of the road/meadows. From Tioga Pass to just east of Tenaya Lake the Tioga Road is 95% snow covered.

Snow depths vary greatly with elevation/aspect with 4-6 inch depths around Tuolumne Meadows (8,600 feet) and up to 24-30 inches around Tioga Pass at 9,940 feet. This week saw unseasonably warm temperatures for three days, followed by cold temperatures and strong NE winds. Skiing on all aspects, subsequently, is sun and wind affected. As of this writing it is windy and snowing with a couple inches of new snow on the ground.

To read more, go here.