Re: Tuolumne Meadows Winter Conditions Update

Tuolumne Meadows Winter Conditions Update
January 30, 2008

Weather (January 23 through January 29):
High temp: 41°F (Jan 26)
Low temp: -12°F (Jan 29)
New Snow: 47 inches (2.87 inches water equivalent)
Total settled snow depth: 66 inches as of January 30

Ski Conditions and Weather: It has been a very snowy week here in the Sierra, with new snow almost every single day. Most of the storms moving through the area have been very windy as well, which helps to bury our ski trails nearly as quickly as they are broken. The temperatures have remained quite low, so the snow is not doing much settling. Altogether, the weather has made the skiing quite difficult, unless your idea of fun is trying to bulldoze your way through thigh-to-waist deep powder. The weather forecast is for the stormy weather to continue through this weekend.

Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to http://www.esavalanche.org for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and click on advisory. The ESAC site is updated several times a week and more often during weather events.

Wildlife: Our resident Pine Marten never fails to leave fresh tracks around our house every morning, but we have not caught a glimpse of him in the past week. We also saw the tracks of Weasels, Squirrels, and Hares this past week.

Birds seen in the past week include Mountain Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Hairy Woodpecker, Townsend’s Solitaire, Clark’s Nutcracker, and Common Raven.

Questions: If you have any ski related or or weather questions, feel free to call 209/372-0450 between 8 am and 8 pm. If we are out skiing, leave a message and a phone number so we can return your call. Please don’t call us with questions about road conditions, as we live 20 miles from the nearest plowed road and don't do any driving this time of year. For current park road conditions call 209 372-0200.

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS WINTER CONDITIONS UPDATE
February 20, 2008
Weather: (February 14 through February 20)
High temp: 59° (Feb 17)
Low temp: 6° (Feb 14)
Total settled snow depth: 52” as of February 20

Ski Conditions and Weather: It was another warm and sunny week in Tuolumne, with afternoon highs in the fifties most days, and overnight lows in the mid-teens. We received 4 inches of snow last night, our first snow in over two weeks. A series of small storms is predicted to move through the area over the next 4 days, which should help freshen up the snow pack a bit. Skiing in the past week has been quite good; most of the sunny areas were turning into corn snow in the middle part of the day, and most places had a nice firm base that wouldn’t collapse under our skis. Travel was very easy for the most part, with spring-like conditions. Reports from other skiers in the area are that there is snow all the way down to the road closure gate outside of Lee Vining, with patches of open pavement on the climb up from the gate to the lower end of Ellery Lake. There are several steep drifts and piles of avalanche debris that have crossed the road that need to be traversed on the climb up the grade. On the west side, there is snow along the valley floor all the way to the Snow Creek trail, some bare ground in the sunny spots and snow in the shady areas on the climb up the switchbacks, and solid snow above the valley rim.

Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to http://www.esavalanche.org for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and click on advisory. The ESAC site is updated several times a week and more often during weather events.

Wildlife: We have seen increased coyote activity in the past week, with fresh tracks encountered nearly everywhere we went. We have also seen the tracks of pine martens, weasels, squirrels, mice, and hares. Birds seen in the past week include Mountain Chickadees, Brown Creepers, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Townsend’s Solitaires, and Clark’s Nutcrackers.

Questions: If you have any ski related or weather questions feel free to call 209-372-0450 between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm. If we are out skiing, leave a message and a phone number so we can return your call. Please don’t call us with questions about road conditions, as we live 20 miles from the nearest plowed road and don’t do any driving this time of year. For current park road conditions call 209-372-0200. (Jeff and Kathi, the Tuolumne winter rangers - 2/21/08)

February 27, 2008
Weather: (February 20 through February 26)
High temp: 44° (Feb 25)
Low temp: -6° (Feb 23)
New Snow: 55” (3.64” water equivalent)
Total settled snow depth: 75” as of February 27

Ski Conditions and Weather: After two weeks of spring-like weather, winter made an appearance this past week at Tuolumne as we received over four and a half feet of new snow from a series of storms that lasted most of the week. The sun finally came out yesterday, and the new snow is settling quickly. Trail breaking is not too bad if you get out early, but by about 11 A.M. the sun turns the snow into sticky mush- not the most pleasant conditions for ski touring. The warm sunny weather is predicted to continue for the next week, so I don’t expect the conditions to change much- nice skiing early and late in the day, with not so nice conditions in the sunny areas in the middle of the day for the next few days until this new snow settles.

Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to http://www.esavalanche.org for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and click on advisory. The ESAC site is updated several times a week and more often during weather events.

Wildlife: Animal tracks seen in the past week include coyote, pine marten, weasel, squirrel, mice/vole, and hare. Birds seen in the past week include Mountain Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red Crossbill, Townsend’s Solitaire, and Clark’s Nutcracker.

Questions: If you have any ski related or weather questions feel free to call 209-372-0450 between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm.

If we are out skiing, leave a message and a phone number so we can return your call. Please don’t call us with questions about road conditions, as we live 20 miles from the nearest plowed road and don’t do any driving this time of year. For current park road conditions call 209-372-0200. (Jeff and Kathi, the Tuolumne winter rangers - 2/27/08)

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS WINTER CONDITIONS UPDATE
March 5, 2008
Weather: (February 27 to March 4)
High temp: 61° (Feb 27)
Low temp: 4° (March 4)
New Snow: 0”
Total settled snow depth: 58” as of March 5

Ski Conditions and Weather: It has been a warm and sunny week here at Tuolumne, with daytime highs in the 50’s followed by overnight lows in the single digits. The snow has firmed up, providing great touring conditions. There are even some turns to be had on south facing slopes mid-day once the sun softens them up a bit, and even a few powder turns on the higher north-facing slopes. Skiers coming in from the east side report that there is still 1-2 feet of snow down at the road closure gate outside of Lee Vining. About a mile up the road from the gate the snow becomes patchy in some sun-baked and wind-scoured spots, so you’ll be taking your skis off and putting them back on numerous times until you reach Ellery Lake about 5 miles up the road.

Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to http://www.esavalanche.org for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and click on advisory. The ESAC site is updated several times a week and more often during weather events.

Wildlife: I was surprised to encounter a flock of 30-40 Bushtits (Psaltriparus minimus) foraging in the junipers along the top of the ridge north of Parson’s Lodge this morning. It was the first time I’ve encountered these small gray birds in the winter up this high in elevation. They are always fun to watch, full of energy and constantly chattering amongst themselves. Mountain Chickadees and a White-breasted Nuthatch were also feeding in the sunny trees near the Bushtits, as was a Townsend’s Solitaire. I almost always see Solitaires in the juniper forests, no doubt filling up on the tree’s rather bitter-tasting berries. Coyotes also spend a lot of time around the junipers in the winter for the same reason, the berries being one of the few sources of food for them this time of the year. Other birds seen in the past week include Common Raven, Brown Creeper, Red Crossbill, and the always noisy Clark’s Nutcracker. Animal tracks seen in the past week include coyote, pine marten, weasel, squirrel, mice/vole, and hare.

Questions: If you have any ski related or weather questions feel free to call 209-372-0450 between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm. If we are out skiing, leave a message and a phone number so we can return your call. Please don’t call us with questions about road conditions, as we live 20 miles from the nearest plowed road and don’t do any driving this time of year. For current park road conditions call 209-372-0200. (Jeff and Kathi, the Tuolumne winter rangers - 3/6/08)

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS WINTER CONDITIONS UPDATE
March 12, 2008
Weather: (March 5 to March 11)
High temp: 58° (March 10 and 11)
Low temp: 4° (March 6)
New Snow: 0”
Total settled snow depth: 52” as of March 12

Ski Conditions and Weather: It has been a warm and sunny week here at Tuolumne, with daytime highs in the mid-fifties followed by overnight lows in the single digits and teens. The snow has firmed up, providing great touring conditions. There are even some turns to be had on south facing slopes mid-day once the sun softens them up a bit. Be prepared for soft-to-slushy snow by the middle of the afternoon. We are beginning to see patches of bare ground open up for the first time, as well as stretches of open water along the river- spring must be just around the bend.

Skiers coming in from the east side report that there are still a few inches of snow down at the road closure gate outside of Lee Vining, but that most of the road between the gate up to Warren Fork Creek has melted out and is bare pavement. So be prepared to walk the first 3-4 miles above the gate before you hit the solid snow where you can begin to ski.

Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to http://www.esavalanche.org for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and click on advisory. The ESAC site is updated several times a week and more often during weather events.

Wildlife: We are seeing a lot more sign of coyotes now that the snow has firmed up and travelling is getting easier. Other animal tracks seen in the past week include pine marten, chickaree, mice/vole, and hare. No sign of any bears yet. Birds seen in the past week include Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Brown Creeper, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red Crossbill, and the always noisy Clark’s Nutcracker. We are still awaiting the arrival of our first spring migrants; we’ve heard that Robins and Bluebirds are becoming common at lower elevations, but we haven’t seen them up here yet.

Questions: If you have any ski related or weather questions feel free to call 209-372-0450 between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm. If we are out skiing, leave a message and a phone number so we can return your call. Please don’t call us with questions about road conditions, as we live 20 miles from the nearest plowed road and don’t do any driving this time of year.

For current park road conditions call 209-372-0200. (Jeff and Kathi, the Tuolumne winter rangers - 3/13/08)

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS WINTER CONDITIONS UPDATE
March 19, 2008
Weather: (March 12 to March 18)
High temp: 53° (March 17 and 18)
Low temp: 6° (March 16)
New Snow: 3”
Total settled snow depth: 50” as of March 19

Ski Conditions and Weather: Winter made a brief appearance in Tuolumne over the weekend, dropping 3 inches of new snow and bringing cold winds out of the north. That storm cleared out fast however, and we are now back to spring-like weather with afternoon highs in the fifties and overnight lows in the teens the past few days. The forecast is for this warm and dry trend to continue for the next week. The snow has firmed up, providing great touring conditions. Be prepared for soft-to-slushy snow by the middle of the afternoon. We are beginning to see patches of bare ground open up for the first time, as well as stretches of open water along the river.

Caltrans has plowed the road from the road closure gate outside of Lee Vining up to the Warren Fork of Lee Vining Creek, so skiers coming in from the east side should be prepared to walk the first 3-4 miles of road above the gate before you hit the solid snow where you can begin to ski.

Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to http://www.esavalanche.org for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and click on advisory. The ESAC site is updated several times a week and more often during weather events.

Wildlife: Our first bird of the spring has finally arrived- a male Robin was spotted on the south side of Lembert Dome yesterday. Other birds seen in the past week include Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Brown Creeper, White-breasted Nuthatch, Townsend’s Solitaire, and Clark’s Nutcracker. Animal tracks seen in the past week include coyote, pin marten, chickaree, mice/vole, and hare. No sign of any bears yet.

Questions: If you have any ski related or weather questions feel free to call 209-372-0450 between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm. If we are out skiing, leave a message and a phone number so we can return your call. Please don’t call us with questions about road conditions, as we live 20 miles from the nearest plowed road and don’t do any driving this time of year. For current park road conditions call 209-372-0200.

(Jeff and Kathi, the Tuolumne winter rangers - 3/20/08)

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS WINTER CONDITIONS UPDATE
March 27, 2008
Weather: (March 19 to March 26)
High temp: 56° (March 23)
Low temp: 10° (March 21, 24, 26)
New Snow: 0”
Total settled snow depth: 44” as of March 27

Ski Conditions and Weather: It has been a warm and sunny week at Tuolumne, with afternoon highs in the fifties and overnight lows in the teens the past few days. The snow has firmed up, providing great touring conditions. Be prepared for soft-to-slushy snow by the middle of the afternoon on sunny days however. We are beginning to see patches of bare ground open up for the first time, as well as stretches of open water along the river. Caltrans has plowed the Tioga road (Highway 120) from the road closure gate outside of Lee Vining up to the Warren Fork of Lee Vining Creek, so skiers coming in from the east side should be prepared to walk the first 3-4 miles of road above the gate before you hit the snow where you can begin to ski. Skiers coming up the Snow Creek trail from the west side report that the snow line begins just above the top of the switchbacks; the switchbacks, and everything below them, are bare ground.

Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to http://www.esavalanche.org for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and click on advisory. The ESAC site is updated several times a week and more often during weather events.

Wildlife: Our second spring arrival from the avian world showed up this past week- the Dark-eyed Junco. Their tinkling musical song can now be heard all over the area. Other birds seen in the past week include the American Robin, Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Brown Creeper, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Townsend’s Solitaire, and Clark’s Nutcracker. Last week also brought the first Painted Lady butterflies of the spring to our neck of the woods; the main migration has not yet arrived however, we are only seeing one or two of the insects per day. Animal tracks seen in the past week include Coyote, Pine Marten, Chickaree, Mice/Vole, and Hare. No sign of any bears yet.

Questions: If you have any ski related or weather questions feel free to call 209-372-0450 between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm. If we are out skiing, leave a message and a phone number so we can return your call. Please don’t call us with questions about road conditions, as we live 20 miles from the nearest plowed road and don’t do any driving this time of year. For current park road conditions call 209-372-0200.

Jeff and Kathi, the Tuolumne winter rangers - 3/28/08

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS WINTER CONDITIONS UPDATE
April 2, 2008
Weather: (March 27 to April 1)
High temp: 47° (March 27)
Low temp: -2° (March 31)
New Snow: 4” (March 29)
Total settled snow depth: 45” as of April 2

Ski Conditions and Weather: It has been a cool and cloudy week at Tuolumne, with afternoon highs in the forties and overnight lows in the teens most nights. We have had quite a few week storm systems blow through the area, leaving behind dustings of snow. The overall snowpack depth has not changed in the past week, so spring runoff is still on hold; not much melting is going on. The end of March snow surveys showed that the area is at about 100% of the 30-year average for snowpack water content, even though we only received 7 inches of snow (with 0.62” of water) the entire month of March. The latest word from the east side is that Caltrans has plowed the Tioga road (Highway 120) from the road closure gate outside of Lee Vining up to the Warren Fork of Lee Vining Creek, so skiers coming in from that direction should be prepared to walk the first 3-4 miles of road above the gate before you hit snow. Skiers coming up the Snow Creek trail from the west side report that the snow line begins just above the top of the switchbacks; everything below that level has melted out. The road to the west of Tuolumne should remain snow-covered for a few more weeks.

Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to http://www.esavalanche.org for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and click on advisory. The ESAC site is updated several times a week and more often during weather events.

Wildlife: No new migrating birds have shown up in the past week; as a matter of fact most of the earlier arrivals seem to have left, probably chased back down to lower elevations due to the cold and stormy weather up high. Birds seen in the past week include the Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Brown Creeper, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Townsend’s Solitaire, Clark’s Nutcracker, Black-backed Woodpecker, and Hairy Woodpecker. We are still seeing quite a few Painted Lady butterflies migrating through the meadows during the afternoons. Animal tracks seen in the past week include Coyote, Pine Marten, Chickaree, Mice/Vole, and Hare. No sign of any bears yet.

Questions: If you have any ski related or weather questions feel free to call 209-372-0450 between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm. If we are out skiing, leave a message and a phone number so we can return your call. Please don’t call us with questions about road conditions, as we live 20 miles from the nearest plowed road and don’t do any driving this time of year. For current park road conditions call 209-372-0200.

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS WINTER CONDITIONS UPDATE
April 9, 2008
Weather: (April 2 to April 9)
High temp: 49° (April 3)
Low temp: 5° (April 9)
New Snow: 1” (April 8)
Total settled snow depth: 40” as of April 9

Ski Conditions and Weather: It has been another cool, windy, and cloudy week at Tuolumne, with afternoon highs in the forties and overnight lows in the teens and single digits. We have had a couple weak storm systems blow through the area, leaving behind a dusting of snow. The overall snowpack depth has not changed much in the past week, so spring runoff is still on hold. The latest conditions report from the east side is that the Tioga road (Highway 120) has melted out from the road closure gate outside of Lee Vining up to the Warren Fork of Lee Vining Creek, with patches of snow from Warren Fork up to Ellery Lake. Skiers coming in from the east side should be prepared to walk the first 4-5 miles of road above the gate before you hit the good snow near Ellery Lake. Skiers coming up the Snow Creek trail from the west side report that the snow line begins just above the top of the switchbacks; everything below that level has melted out.

Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to <htttp://www.esavalanche.org> for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and click on advisory. The ESAC site is updated several times a week and more often during weather events.

Wildlife: Birds seen in the past week include the Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Brown Creeper, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, Brewer’s Blackbird, Townsend’s Solitaire, Clark’s Nutcracker, Stellar’s Jay, Northern Flicker, Black-backed Woodpecker, and Hairy Woodpecker. We are still seeing quite a few Painted Lady butterflies migrating through the meadows during the afternoons. Animal tracks seen in the past week include Coyote, Pine Marten, Chickaree, Mice/Vole, and Hare. No sign of any bears yet.

Questions: If you have any ski related or weather questions feel free to call 209-372-0450 between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm. If we are out skiing, leave a message and a phone number so we can return your call. Please don’t call us with questions about road conditions, as we live 20 miles from the nearest plowed road and don’t do any driving this time of year. For current park road conditions call 209-372-0200. (Jeff and Kathi, the Tuolumne winter rangers - 4/10/08)

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS - WINTER CONDITIONS UPDATE
April 16, 2008
Weather: (April 9 to April 15)
High temp: 60° (April 13 and 14)
Low temp: 8° (April 10)
New Snow: 0”
Total settled snow depth: 31” as of April 16

Ski Conditions and Weather: Spring has finally arrived at Tuolumne. We had a warm and sunny week, with afternoon highs near 60 every day and overnight lows in the teens to twenties. The ice has gone off the Tuolumne River, the snowpack is quickly melting, and birds are singing everywhere. We even saw our first wildflowers of the year today over by Parson’s Lodge, where the ground is quickly opening up.

The snow has been very firm the past few mornings, but by early afternoon conditions get pretty sloppy. The latest snow conditions report from the east side is that the Tioga road (Highway 120) has been plowed from the road closure gate outside of Lee Vining up to the east end of Ellery Lake, so skiers coming in from the east side should be prepared to walk the first 4-5 miles of road above the gate before you reach the snow. Skiers coming up the Snow Creek trail from the west side report that the snow line begins just above the summer trail bridge, which is about 1/2 mile above the top of the switchbacks; everything below that level has melted out.

Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to http://www.esavalanche.org for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and click on advisory. The ESAC site is updated several times a week and more often during weather events.

Wildlife: Birds seen in the past week include Mallard, Common Merganser, Killdeer, Northern Flicker, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker, Violet-green Swallow, Steller’s Jay, Clark’s Nutcracker, Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Brown Creeper, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Townsend’s Solitaire, American Robin, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco, White-crowned Sparrow, and Brewer’s Blackbird.

We are still seeing quite a few Painted Lady butterflies migrating through the meadows during the afternoons. Animal tracks seen in the past week include Coyote, Pine Marten, Chickaree, Mice/Vole, and Hare. No sign of any bears up hereyet.

Questions: If you have any ski related or weather questions feel free to call 209-372-0450 between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm. If we are out skiing, leave a message and a phone number so we can return your call. Please don’t call us with questions about road conditions, as we live 20 miles from the nearest plowed road and don’t do any driving this time of year. For current park road conditions call 209-372-0200. (Jeff and Kathi, the Tuolumne winter rangers)

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS WINTER CONDITIONS UPDATE
April 30, 2008
Weather: (April 24 to April 30)
High temp: 62° (April 27, 28)
Low temp: 18° (April 25)
New Snow: 0”
Total settled snow depth: 6” as of April 30

Ski Conditions and Weather: This will be the last winter report this spring as ski season is quickly drawing to a close. The snow is melting quickly- there are large patches of ground opening up in the meadows, many long stretches of bare pavement along the Tioga Road, and the snowplows are quickly closing in from both sides.

The park plows are near Tenaya Lake, heading east. There is no estimate yet for the opening date of the Tioga Road. For the most current Tioga Road status call 209-372-0200 or go to http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tioga.htm. Caltrans has plowed to the park boundary at Tioga Pass, but the road is still closed at the bottom of the grade outside Lee Vining; it is unknown exactly when they will open the road to the public. You can check the status of that portion of highway 120 at 1-800-427-7623 or http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi.

Backcountry visitors are reminded that bear canisters are required for all overnight backcountry use in Yosemite from March 15 to December 15. The ski hut will remain open for backcountry visitors until shortly before the park opens the Tioga Road to traffic. Visitors who have food or gear in the cache at the Tuolumne ski hut are reminded that all property must be removed within two weeks following the road opening date; any gear left after that time will be discarded.

Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to http://www.esavalanche.org for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and click on advisory. The ESAC site is updated several times a week and more often during weather events.

Wildlife: Birds seen in the past week include Mallard, Common Merganser, Killdeer, Northern Flicker, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker, Golden Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Violet-green Swallow, Steller’s Jay, Clark’s Nutcracker, Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Brown Creeper, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Townsend’s Solitaire, American Robin, Mountain Bluebird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, and Brewer’s Blackbird. The Belding’s ground squirrels are coming out of their burrows for the first time this spring. We also saw a pair of coyotes in Dana Meadows this week. Animal tracks seen in the past week include Pine Marten, Chickaree, Mice/Vole, and Hare.

Questions: If you have any ski related or weather questions feel free to call 209-372-0450 between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm. If we are out skiing, leave a message and a phone number so we can return your call. (Jeff and Kathi, the Tuolumne winter rangers - 5/1/08)

Tuolumne River, NPS Photo