Snow Plowing Underway On One Mountain Pass
Tuolumne County, CA— With the mild winter, snow plowing is underway on one of the mountain passes as Caltrans reports that crews began clearing snow this week on Highway 108 Sonora Pass.
The Long Barn Maintenance Crews pushed through the SNO-Park gates Thursday, April 3, clearing the highway to about 6,000 feet (1.83 km). Crews are working 10-hour shifts, seven days a week, to safely reopen the roadway to motorists later this spring, usually before the three-day Memorial Weekend, May 24-26 this year, impacting travel.
The first mountain pass to close for the winter season was Highway 120 Tioga Pass on November 26, as reported here, after a storm hit, blanketing Yosemite National Park, which oversees the roadway’s maintenance. Caltrans reported that due to the dry start to the winter, Highway 4 Ebbetts Pass and Highway 108 Sonora Pass followed three weeks later, on December 16, as reported here. Caltrans officials anticipate that Highway 4 snow clearing could begin on Monday, April 7th. However, no official dates have been set to open the gates to the mountain passes, as they remain closed to travelers.
