Tuolumne County, CA – The higher-than-normal temperatures have Caltrans road crews starting early to clear seasonal snow from Sonora and Ebbetts Pass.
Caltrans District 10 reports that snow removal operations will begin next week in Tuolumne County on Highway 108 and along Highway 4 in Calaveras County.
“Due to warm weather and favorable road conditions, Caltrans is able to begin snow removal operations on the highway a week earlier than previous years,” advised Caltrans officials.
The work typically begins at the end of March, but this year it will start on Monday, March 23, 2026. The Long Barn maintenance plow crews will begin at the SNO-PARK. They will be clearing the roadway of any remaining ice or debris to reopen the highway to Eagle Meadows safely. According to Caltrans, Highway 4 will not be reopened until road conditions are warranted later this spring.
As we reported here in December of last year, travelers were still going over Sonora Pass and Ebbetts Pass in December as dry weather allowed them to remain open longer than usual. Those passes were closed for the winter season the day after Christmas, following deep snow in the high country. A month earlier, on November 26th, Tioga Pass Highway 120, managed by Yosemite National Park, was closed due to a storm that dumped a deep blanket of snow on the park.
Caltrans strives to have the passes open before Memorial Day weekend.
