Sierra winter travel info: Snow closes two Yosemite National Park roads for the season

Carmen Kohlruss
·2 min read

Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road beyond Badger Pass Ski Area in Yosemite National Park are closed for the season due to snow.

Yosemite officials said the season closures went into effect after receiving significant snowfall on Thursday, with more in the forecast. The two roads previously closed temporarily earlier this year due to storms.

Glacier Point Road will stay closed through 2022 for road improvements, but normal access to Badger Pass is still planned through March, conditions permitting, along with cross-country skiing along the closed end of Glacier Point Road.

Badger Pass’ Nordic Center, which offers cross-country ski and snowshoe rentals, opens Friday. Downhill skiing and snowboarding is expected to start Dec. 24.

Badger Pass Ski Area, seen around 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13, 2021 via a Yosemite National Park webcam.
Badger Pass Ski Area, seen around 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13, 2021 via a Yosemite National Park webcam.

Tioga Road – the continuation of Highway 120 that crosses over the Sierra Nevada in Yosemite – will stay closed until the spring or summer. Tioga Road usually reopens in late May or June, officials said, and is a major connector to the Eastern Sierra.

Yosemite Valley and many other parts of the park remain accessible. Day-use reservations are no longer needed to enter Yosemite.

When storms hit, snow tire chains or cables are often required for all without all-wheel and four-wheel drive, or are required to be carried just in case. This usually happens between November and March. Snowplows are active clearing roads when it snows.

Check Yosemite road and chain conditions on the park’s website, nps.gov/yose, and by calling 209-372-0200, then pressing 1 and 1 again. Information about highway conditions and restrictions outside Yosemite are available on the Caltrans website or by calling 800-427-7623.

The National Weather Service said storms moving through the area this week could produce a couple feet of snow in the mountains around 5,000 feet in elevation.

Popular Yosemite Valley, which sits at about 4,000 feet in elevation, has a 90% chance of receiving heavy snow on Tuesday, followed by mostly sunny conditions Wednesday, NWS reported. Yosemite webcams Monday afternoon showed a dusting of snow above Yosemite Valley.