Have always decided to stay away from Yosemite on Memorial Day weekend but this year I thought I would give it a try. My thinking was drive in later in the day on Saturday and go in on the east side. Checked weather reports and road conditions and everything look like a go to go in at Tioga Pass. Driving up the 395 from So. Cal. I get to Lone Pine and the weather on the east side looked like a winter storm blew in. I didn't panic as it looked like a bit of clearing further north. I was way wrong. From Bishop I could see a black wall of clouds as far north as I could see. The freeway signs all said Tioga Pass was open. I get to Lee Vining and I still can't believe the pass is open as it was raining hard in Lee Vining and after a quick stop at the Mobile station I heard it was snowing hard at the pass. I didn't bring chains as the weather said only partly cloudy? I start driving up the pass and the only vehicles I saw were coming "down" the pass. As I get closer the rain turns into a nasty heavy snow! Bad news! I know I'm going to get turned away at the pass but I keep going. Now the good news. As hard as it was snowing the snow wasn't sticking to anything. The outside temp was 34 so I guess it was more of a warm/wet snow. Showed my card at the both and drove right in.
It's funny to see all of the people ill dressed for the conditions. I get that it was much warmer in the valley but these folks were running around in shorts and tank tops trying to stay warm along the pull-outs in the Tioga Pass area.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2016 06:00PM by ERICG.