Conditions Report
Report written by Tuolumne Meadows winter rangers Laura and Rob Pilewski on March 27, 2024
- New Snow: 20 inches
- Settled Snow Depth: 48 inches
- High temperature: 50°F (March 19)
- Low temperature: -2°F (March 25)
Ski Conditions and Weather
Late March in the Sierra Nevada can see big swings in weather; this week was no exception. The first half of the week was characterized by warm temperatures and sunny skies, producing a good corn snow cycle. Spring did start on March 19, after all! However, Old Man Winter said, “Not so fast,” and the past three days have seen the return to winter weather and ski conditions. Single-digit overnight lows and twenty inches of new snow have put the brakes on spring for now.
As of this writing, Tioga Road is dry pavement from the Lee Vining gate to the Warren Fork (9,000 feet). The snowline to the west starts conveniently at the top of the Snow Creek switchbacks, at around 7,000 feet.
Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions
Please refer to the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center (ESAC) and the Bridgeport Avalanche Center for the avalanche advisories for this part of the Park.
This week’s new snow made loose snow avalanches and wind slabs the biggest concerns. We observed several loose snow slides, or sluffs, on the north and east aspects of the alpine zone. Most aspects below 10,000 feet had a melt-freeze crust on them before being buried by the new snow, making for a smooth and slick sliding surface.
History of Snow Surveys
Harlow Stafford was a hydraulic engineer who took over the California Cooperative Snow Survey program around 1929 and who also walked the walk or skied the ski on some epic overnight snow survey trips before adequate weather forecasts. Even in 1953, he saw the future of snow surveying, as he stated at a Western Snow Survey Conference in Reno, Nevada, “We have perhaps thought, ‘this is really the ultimate, the last word,’ but each time a new horizon appears there is a new goal to be attained. And so now, although we may think that surely the top has been reached, let us not forget that the electronic age has just been entered, and who can say what wonders of snow survey and miracles of forecasting may not lie ahead’” (Rose 66 & 171).
Wildlife
We heard a red-winged blackbird belt out its conk-la-ree song among the willow banks of the Tuolumne River early one morning. As temperatures rose, violet-green swallows darted around Tuolumne Meadows, scanning for open water and insects. Lastly, an osprey soared over Lembert Dome on its way to the meadows. With the water courses rapidly opening up, fishing season is almost here.
Questions
The Tuolumne Meadows Ski Hut is open. This primitive cabin is the campground reservation office in the summer and is located along Tioga Road at the entrance to the campground. It is marked with a sign. Firewood and eight bunks are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For those visiting the Tuolumne Meadows Ski Hut from the east (only), permits are self-issued at the Ski Hut. For those entering from other areas, please see Yosemite’s website: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildfaq.htm#winter, or you may contact the wilderness office at 209/372-0740. As of this writing, Tuolumne Meadows has electricity and limited phone service. Come prepared, and please make good decisions while traveling in the wilderness! Read through the following three pages before embarking on any day or overnight snow travel within this park:
You may contact us with any additional winter Tuolumne Meadows-related questions, but response times may vary if we are away on patrol.
References
Rose, Gene. Snow Warriors: The Heroic Trail of the Early Snow Surveyors. Gene Rose, 2022.
Happy return to winter!
