The question of the year so far is “When will Tioga Pass open?” Your guess is as good as ours. In fact, here’s the office poll—compare your guess to ours!
- Jess: June 16 soft opening; June 17 official
- Elin: June 23 at noon
- Bartshe: June 23
- Ellen: June 24
- Nora: June 26
- Gabby: June 27
- Greg: June 28 at noon
- Lisa: June 29
- Arya: June 30
- Andrew: June 30
- Geoff: July 1
- Julissa: July 6
At 9,945 feet above sea level, Tioga Pass is the highest point on Highway 120 and the California State Highway system. There are 26 avalanche zones that this year had snowdrifts upwards of 50 feet, often concealing rocks and trees. Once the road is clear of snow, crews must repair any damage to the pavement, shoulders, and guardrails. The latest Tioga Pass opening date was July 8, 1933, and the earliest was April 29, 1988 … we’re all wondering what it will be this year!
Updated on Tuesday, June 27 at 4:30pm to add that it looks like Lisa will be the winner, unless we get a strange summer snowstorm!