Re: TUOLUMNE MEADOWS- WINTER CONDITIONS UPDATE

December 17, 2008
Weather: (December 11 through December 17)
High temp: 65° (Dec 11)
Low temp: -8° (Dec 16, 17)
New Snow: 24” (Dec 13-16)
Total settled snow depth: 15” as of December 17

Ski Conditions and Weather: Winter has finally arrived in Tuolumne. An early storm closed the road on October 30, but almost all the snow from those earlier storms had melted. Summer was back in full swing as you can see from our high temperature of 65 degrees just a week ago. A very cold arctic front brought frigid temperatures and 2 feet of new snow last weekend. The water equivalent was only 1.56 inches. The daytime highs are barely breaking out of the teens. Champagne powder makes for a poor base on which to ski so we will have to wait for warmer temperatures to settle the snow. More snow is predicted for this weekend, we’ll take all we can get! The ski touring along the road is good but once you get off the pavement there are many rocks and logs to scrape your skis on. We will have to get significantly more snow to get on higher terrain.

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 a surprise guest living in our woodshed, a bushy tailed wood rat (Neotoma cinerea). It has built a nice cozy nest on top of our woodpile for the winter. They are strictly nocturnal, so it sleeps all day in its nest and forages all night feeding on bark. Other sightings include our resident Coyotes and Chickarees. November 29 we saw bear tracks crossing the road above Gaylor pit. Other tracks seen recently were White-tailed Jackrabbit, along with the many tiny rodent, Coyote and Chickaree tracks. Birds seen this week include the Mountain Chickadee, Dark Eyed Junco, Brown Creeper, Clark’s Nutcracker, and Common Raven.

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 - 12/18/08)

65 on Dec. 11?

Vince wrote:

> 65 on Dec. 11?

The automated snow sensor reported 57.

What a job!

December 24, 2008
Weather: (December 18 through December 24)
High temp: 43° (Dec 20)
Low temp: -13 (Dec 18)
New Snow: 15” (Dec 22-24)
Total settled snow depth: 18” as of December 24

Ski Conditions and Weather: Happy Solstice. Winter has officially arrived, bringing with it frigid temperatures and another 15 inches of new snow. A series of small arctic storms swept through the Sierras this past week bringing us the equivalent of 1.00 inch of water. Light fluffy snow is settling quickly resulting in a base of only 18 inches. We heard the snowpack whumph under our skis in Lyell Canyon, a reaction of the snow trying to find some equilibrium. While the coverage is slowly getting better, we are still scraping rocks and logs. Don’t even think about doing turns yet unless you really don’t like your skis. The plus side of all these cold temperatures is we haven’t even pulled the glide wax out of our packs yet, a rare occurrence in the Sierras. The snow has been perfect gliding powder. The streams are freezing fast although there is still flowing water visible in spots. It is currently snowing outside our windows making for a postcard perfect Christmas scene. We are hoping this continues for awhile.

Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to 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: A slow week for wildlife sightings. We got a glimpse of our resident Coyote struggling through the new snow by our cabin. A day never goes by without seeing the hyperactive Chickaree running from tree to tree. We got to see lots of tracks in the fresh snow. Pine Marten, smaller weasel, (possibly Ermine), White-tailed Jackrabbit, Coyote, Chickaree, Grouse, along with many tiny rodent tracks. Birds seen this week include the Mountain Chickadee, Red Breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Dark Eyed Junco, and Clark’s Nutcracker.

How is your wood rat, still hanging out on the woodpile?
I love reading your winter updates. Makes me feel like i am there.
Thanks for posting them, eek.
Happy new year!

Weather: (December 25 through December 31)
High temp: 54° (Dec 30)
Low temp: -5 (Dec 27)
New Snow: 21” (Dec 25)
Total settled snow depth: 22” as of December 31

Ski Conditions and Weather: Happy New Year. Our Christmas blizzard added another 21 inches of new snow here at Tuolumne. This brings our December total to 60 inches of snow with the water equivalent of just 4.19 inches. As a result of this very dry snow, our snowpack is just 22 inches. As soon as the storm blew out on the 26th, we were back to sunny warm days and sub zero nights. We are seeing quite a bit of melting in the afternoon sun. Touring is best in the morning before the sun starts to turn the snow to mush. While the coverage is getting better, there are still lots of obstacles to hit on the steeper terrain. Caution is advised.

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 got to see lots of tracks in the fresh snow. Pine Marten, smaller weasel, (possibly Ermine), White-tailed Jackrabbit, Coyote, Chickaree, along with many tiny rodent tracks. Birds seen this week include the Mountain Chickadee, Red Breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Clark’s Nutcracker, Common Raven, and a flock of Red Crossbills.

January 7, 2009
Weather: (January 1 through January 7)
High temp: 50° (Jan1 and Jan 7)
Low temp: -14 (Jan 4)
New Snow: 5” (Jan 3 and Jan 6)
Total settled snow depth: 22” as of January 7

Ski Conditions and Weather: The first week of the new year brought a couple of weak disturbances through Tuolumne, bringing mostly wind and little snow. We added another 5 inches of snow with the water equivalent of 0.45 inches. We also saw our lowest overnight temperature of the season so far, -14 on January 4. We are warming up quite a bit during the afternoon, south facing slopes are getting some extreme solar radiation. Touring is best in the morning before the sun starts to turn the snow to mush. The new snow, combined with the warm temperatures, have made skiing quite variable, sticky in the sun and slick in the shade. While the coverage is getting better, there are still lots of obstacles to hit on the steeper terrain. Caution is advised.

Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to 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 got to see lots of tracks in the fresh snow. Pine Marten, smaller weasel, (possibly Ermine), White-tailed Jackrabbit, Coyote, Chickaree, along with many tiny rodent tracks. A little mouse jumped in our recycling bucket during the night and couldn’t get back out. It was shivering and terrified when we discovered it in the morning. We are glad to report it has its freedom back. Birds seen this week include the Mountain Chickadee, Red Breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, and Clark’s Nutcracker.

January 28, 2009
Weather: (January 22 through January 28)
High temp: 48° (Jan 27)
Low temp: -7° (Jan 26, 27)
New Snow: 25” (Jan 22 through Jan 25)
Total settled snow depth: 29” as of January 28

Ski Conditions and Weather: We had a little of everything this past week; rain, snow, slush, sunshine. It started out as a rain/snow mix, then turned to all snow once the temperatures dropped. We ended up with 25 inches of new snow with a water equivalent of 2.67 inches. We are now under high pressure again with intense sunshine and east winds. We saw one natural avalanche up near Tioga Pass on an east facing slope and some wet slides on the granite domes. Not sure what the bonding of these two distinct layers are going to be, so caution is advised on the steeper slopes. Above 9500 feet there is more snow since our rain event didn’t extend that far up. We are seeing in excess of 60 inches of snow at that elevation compared with just 30 inches 1000 feet lower. Trail breaking is still difficult as the snow just collapses under our weight.

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: Tracks seen recently were Pine Marten, Ermine, White-tailed Jackrabbit, along with the many tiny rodent, Coyote and Chickaree tracks. Birds seen this week include the Mountain Chickadee, Red Breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Clark’s Nutcracker, Red Crossbills and Common Raven.

Rick,
Are those your tracks out at the Tioga Entrance station?

---

Old Dude

mrcondron wrote:

> Are those your tracks out at the Tioga Entrance station?

Not me. I'm getting too old for that kind of work.

February 4, 2009
Weather: (January 29 through February 4)
High temp: 60° (Feb 2)
Low temp: 8 (Jan 29)
New Snow: 0”
Total settled snow depth: 23” as of February 4

Ski Conditions and Weather: High pressure has dominated our weather once again this past week, with warm temperatures and strong east winds. There was not a cloud in the sky all week until this morning. We hit a high of 60 degrees on February 2 and have lost a lot of snow. It was too warm to even be out skiing in the afternoon as the snow just turned to glop. Touring is better in the morning but the snow still does not support our weight. 25 inches of new snow and 60 degree days do not mix very well. Most of the creeks have opened up and are flowing. The snow surveys for the end of January are showing 60% of normal. The weather is expected to change tonight with 2 systems coming in. We can only hope for more snow.

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: Tracks seen this week include Pine Marten, smaller weasel, (possibly Ermine), White-tailed Jackrabbit, Coyote, Chickaree, along with many tiny rodent tracks. Birds seen this week include the Mountain Chickadee, Red Breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Clark’s Nutcracker, Red Crossbills, and Pine Siskins.

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 - 2/5/09)

February 11, 2009
Weather: (February 5 through February 11)
High temp: 41° (Feb 10)
Low temp: -16 (Feb 10)
New Snow: 37”
Total settled snow depth: 44” as of February 11

Ski Conditions and Weather: Winter has returned to Tuolumne this past week with over 3 feet of new snow and a low temperature of minus 16 degrees. Trail breaking is deep and difficult. The new snow is getting sticky in the afternoon sun, so morning skiing is suggested. No visitors have ventured in since the new snow, so be prepared for trail breaking.

Another series of storms is predicted for the next week, so keep on eye on the weather before planning a big trip. We have not observed any avalanche activity.

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 had a visit from our local Pine Marten this week. It showed up outside our window one morning and we got to watch it for about 20 minutes as it porpoised through the all the deep new snow checking out all the garbage cans and buildings. But an even more interesting wildlife encounter occurred a couple hours after dark on Sunday when we heard a Northern Saw-whet Owl calling outside our cabin. It is a very tiny owl, strictly nocturnal, with a very distinct call. It usually only calls in breeding season which usually occurs from March to May; outside of the breeding season it is silent. We can only guess that this was a male bird, getting a jump on trying to find a mate. Being avid birders for the past 15 years this was only our second encounter with a Saw-whet Owl, so although they are around in most habitats they are hard to spot due to their habit of roosting in dense foliage during the daylight hours and only coming out after dark to hunt mice and other small mammals from low perches in the forest.

We didn’t see a lot of tracks this week because the new snow kept covering everything up but we still saw our usual Pine Marten, Chickaree, White-tailed Jack Rabbit, and many tiny rodent tracks. Birds seen and heard this week include the Mountain Chickadee, Red Breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Clark’s Nutcracker, Red Crossbill, and Northern Saw-whet Owl.

February 18, 2009
Weather: (February 12 through February 18)
High temp: 33° (Feb 15)
Low temp: -2 (Feb 13)
New Snow: 28”
Total settled snow depth: 52” as of February 18

Ski Conditions and Weather: Winter has decided to stick around this week with 28 inches of new snow and a low temperature of minus 2 degrees. Since February 6 we have gotten 65 inches of snow. The storms have been cold so there is snow in Yosemite Valley. The coverage has greatly improved and all the high peaks are coated with snow. Trail breaking is deep and difficult. The weather for the next few days is supposed to be warm and sunny, making for sticky snow in the afternoon. No visitors have ventured in since the new snow, so be prepared for trail breaking. Another series of storms is predicted for the next week, so keep on eye on the weather before planning a big trip.

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 didn’t see a lot of tracks this week because the new snow kept covering everything up but we still saw our usual Pine Marten, Chickaree, White-tailed Jack Rabbit, and many tiny rodent tracks. Birds seen and heard this week include the Mountain Chickadee, Red Breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Clark’s Nutcracker, Red Crossbill, and Hairy Woodpecker.

April 1, 2009
Weather: (March 26 through April 1)
High temp: 56° (Mar 27)
Low temp: 8° (Mar 31)
New Snow: 0
Total settled snow depth: 39” as of April 1

Ski Conditions and Weather: Spring is in the air here at Tuolumne with the new spring arrivals singing loudly and the woodpeckers drumming. This past week has been warm, sunny, and a bit breezy at times. The creeks have all opened up and streams of water are everywhere. The snowpack has dropped 20 inches since March 22nd. A very firm skiing base in the morning turns to slush in the hot afternoon sun. There is still plenty of snow to turn and tour on. Our end of the month snow surveys revealed approximately 78 inches at Dana Meadows, 80 inches at Rafferty, 70 inches at Tenaya Lake, and
86 inches at Snow Flat. Be prepared to walk the first several miles up the Lee Vining Grade if you are coming in from the east side, last report is that snow line is near the Warren Fork creek on the grade.

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: Tracks seen recently were Pine Marten, Ermine, White-tailed Jackrabbit, along with the many tiny rodent, Coyote and Chickaree tracks. Birds seen this week include the Mountain Chickadee, Red Breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Clark’s Nutcracker, Red Crossbill, American Robin, Pine Siskin, Northern Flicker, Golden Crowned Kinglet, and Common Raven.

April 8, 2009
Weather: (April 2 through April 8)
High temp: 56° (Apr 6)
Low temp: 0° (Apr 4)
New Snow: 6 inches
Total settled snow depth: 37” as of April 8

Ski Conditions and Weather: We had a little bit of everything this week, warm sunny days, cold blustery days, and a return to winter as we picked up another 6 inches of snow. The base is holding firm with bare ground in only the sunniest of spots. The Tuolumne River is opening up slowly with about 50% of it still under ice and snow. A very firm skiing base in the morning turns to slush in the hot afternoon sun. Touring has been fast and easy. There is still plenty of snow to turn and tour on. Be prepared to walk the first several miles up the Lee Vining Grade if you are coming in from the east side as snowline is still reported to be at the 9000 foot level.

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: The bears have awoken. We had fresh bear tracks in Ranger Camp yesterday morning. Other tracks seen recently were Pine Marten, Ermine, White-tailed Jackrabbit, along with the many tiny rodent, Coyote and Chickaree tracks.

April 15, 2009
Weather: (April 9 through April 15)
High temp: 56° (April 12)
Low temp: 6 (April 11)
New Snow: 9”
Total settled snow depth: 34” as of April 15

Ski Conditions and Weather: Again we had typical spring weather in the High Sierras. Very warm and sunny one day and back to winter the next day. We picked up another 9 inches of snow this past week with single digit temperatures. Four days this past week our temperatures never got past 36 degrees. There is still melting occurring when the sun is out and the streams are still open and flowing. Skiing up high is great, plenty of snow with a solid base and soft turnable snow on the surface. Not quite yet corn snow, but getting close. If you are coming in from the east side, be aware that Caltrans has started plowing the Lee Vining grade. Last report they were at Tioga Pass Resort, so be prepared to walk the entire way from the locked gate at Lee Vining to Tioga Pass, a distance of about 8 miles with 3000 feet of climbing. The weather for the next week is predicted to be warm and sunny. Expect lots of melting and bring your sunscreen. 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 saw our usual Coyote, Pine Marten, Chickaree, White-tailed Jack Rabbit, and many tiny rodent tracks. The bears are out and about, you need to bring a bear resistant food container for overnight trips. The Painted Lady Butterflies are still migrating over the High Sierra. Birds seen and heard this week include the Mountain Chickadee, Red Breasted Nuthatch, Brown creeper, Clark’s Nutcracker, Common Raven, Mountain Bluebird, Red Crossbills, Pine Siskins, Cassins Finch, Brewer’s Blackbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dark-headed Juncos, American Robin, Northern Flicker, and Killdeer.

April 22, 2009
Weather: (April 15 to April 21)
High temp: 64° (April 21)
Low temp: 4° (April 16)
New Snow: 0”
Total settled snow depth: 22” as of April 22

Ski Conditions and Weather: Spring has definitely sprung here at Tuolumne this past week. Afternoon highs have surpassed 60 degrees the past 5 days, causing a rather rapid melting of the snow pack. Birds are everywhere, and we even saw a couple grasshoppers and a dragonfly while out skiing yesterday, a rather odd sight considering that the ground is still about 95% snow covered up here. Overnight lows are barely dropping below freezing, which isn’t allowing the snow to set up very hard before the afternoon sun again turns it to slush. It is recommended that you get an early start if you are planning to travel through the area. Most of the rivers and creeks have opened up and are running high; there are few places to cross other than at the summer trail bridges.

The park plows started east from Crane Flat on Monday, beginning the clearing of the Yosemite stretch of the Tioga Road. There is no estimate yet for the opening date of the road. For the most current Tioga Road status call 209-372-0200 or visit http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tioga.htm

Caltrans has plowed to the park boundary at Tioga Pass, but the road east of the pass 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 visit 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 April 1 to December 15.

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, Bald 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, American Robin, Mountain Bluebird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco, Pine Siskin, Red-winged Blackbird, and Brewer’s Blackbird. The Belding’s ground squirrels and the local chipmunks are coming out of their burrows for the first time this spring. Coyotes have been seen in the area. Animal tracks seen in the past week include Pine Marten, Chickaree, Mice/Vole, and Hare.

The last Tuolumne Meadows winter conditions update is below. Hope everyone has a good summer,

April 29, 2009
Weather: (April 22 to April 28)
High temp: 61° (April 22)
Low temp: 3° (April 25)
New Snow: 6” (April 23-24)
Total settled snow depth: 12” as of April 29

Ski Conditions and Weather: This will be the last update for this winter, as the ski touring season is rapidly melting away. It was another nice week of spring weather here at Tuolumne, with afternoon highs in the fifties most days. Birds are singing everywhere, and the first wildflowers (buttercups) have been spotted. It is recommended that you get an early start if you are planning to ski through the area, as the snow is turning to slush in the afternoon sun. Most of the rivers and creeks have opened up and are running high; there are few places to cross other than at the summer trail bridges. The park plows are in the vicinity of the May Lake road, working their way towards Tioga Pass. 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 visit http://www.nps.
gov/yose/planyourvisit/tioga.htm

Caltrans has plowed to the park boundary at Tioga Pass, and the road east of the pass is now open to traffic. It always pays to call ahead if there has been any stormy weather, to be sure the road hasn’t been re-closed.

Backcountry visitors are reminded that bear canisters are required for all overnight backcountry use in Yosemite from April 1 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, Red-tailed Hawk, Violet-green Swallow, Steller’s Jay, Clark’s Nutcracker, Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Brown Creeper, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, Mountain Bluebird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco, Pine Siskin, Red-winged Blackbird, and Brewer’s Blackbird. The Belding’s ground squirrels and the local chipmunks are coming out of their burrows for the first time this spring. Coyotes have been seen in the area. Animal tracks seen in the past week include Pine Marten, Chickaree, Mice/Vole, and Hare.