On Thursday, May 16, Mono County officials announced that Sonora Pass in California is open for the summer. District 9 and 10 crews made great progress clearing Sonora Pass this season, having spent a total of five weeks clearing State Route 108 of snow, and exceeding the goal of opening for Memorial Day. Last year, the mountain pass opened on Friday, June 9, 2023, 3 weeks later than this year.
Highway 108 over Sonora Pass leaves Highway 49 in Sonora, California. It rolls about 50 miles up to the Tuolumne/Mono County line at 9624 feet before dropping 16 miles down to Highway 395 at Sonora Junction north of Bridgeport, California. Highway 108 provides access to Dodge Ridge Ski Area, Eagle Meadows, Kennedy Meadows, Sonora Pass, and Leavitt Lake, all providing jumping-off points for backcountry skiing. Above Kennedy Meadows, this is a steep, winding, narrow, two-lane road.
Sonora Pass closed for the winter season on January 2, 2024, meaning the pass was closed for only 135 days. Last season, the pass was closed for a staggering 211 days.
Sonora Pass (Highway 108) is officially OPEN for the season! 🥳🥳 This is what the summit looked like when the gates opened today at 1:30pm on Thursday May 16, 2024! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Kx9Lseu6z8
— Mono County Tourism (@EasternSierra) May 16, 2024
