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According to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power website, the Mammoth Pass snowpack, in terms of inches of water, sits at 33.4 inches which is right on top of the long term average for this time of year. December and January looked like we might get a banner snow year. February, not so great.

The DWP snow pillow measurements show Mammoth Pass at 99% of normal to date. Rock Creek, 64%. South Lake, 68%. Big Pine Creek, 55%. Cottonwood Lakes, 48%. Precipitation measurements look even more grim. Lee Vining tops the list with 75% of normal to date. Long Valley, 48%. Bishop, 26%. Big Pine, 20%. Independence, 29%.

Snow pillow measurements show Mammoth Pass at 82% of normal. Every place else sits under 50%. Rock Creek, 17%. South Lake, 39%. Big Pine Creek, 32% and Cottonwood Lakes in the south at 19%. Precipitation figures loom low too. Long Valley sits at 37% of normal to date. Bishop, 20%. Big Pine, 16%. Independence, 24%. South Haiwee, 12% and Los Angeles at 43%.

What caused this early opening? Low snow. Sonora Pass is located in the Central Sierra and this year, all of the Sierra Nevada mountain range saw around 50% of normal snowfall. There hasn’t been a significant snowfall on Sonora Pass since December. Good weather, low snow, and warm temperatures allowed plowing to begin much earlier than normal and allowed plowing to progress much faster than normal.

Yosemite Park officials have indicated to Caltrans that Tioga Pass through the Park will open on Saturday, May 11th, dependent on the weather. For the latest in highway information please visit Caltrans QuickMap site at quickmap.dot.ca.gov or call our Road Condition Hotline at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623).

During the night, the rains took their toll on several roads from Big Pine to Death Valley to Lone Pine.
Saline Valley Road from Big Pine to Death Valley was closed Tuesday morning after flood waters on Monday cut a 40-foot deep by 50-foot wide hole in the roadway, according to Sheriff Bill Lutze. The road will remain closed indefinitely. Flood waters also wreaked havoc on portions of State Route 168 East, known as Westgard Pass. According to Caltrans District 9 Public Information Officer Florene Trainor, the entire pass was closed about 8 a.m. Tuesday from U.S. 395 outside of Big Pine to Nevada State Route 266. Crew members set out from either side to locate the damage, discovering huge ruts and “deep gullies” alongside the road as well as portions of highway that had been eroded away altogether near the top of the pass.

Areas on the Inyo National Forest with known damage include:

· Haiwee Pass Road and Trail – Road and trail are temporarily closed. There is major damage to the road, trailhead, and trail.

· Wyman Canyon Road – Road is impassable to passenger vehicles and very difficult to travel for off-highway vehicles.

· Foothill Road – Sections of the road are impassable to passenger vehicles as a result of wash outs at Shepherd Creek and the North Fork of Bairs Creek.

· Division Creek – Road is closed a half mile before the powerhouse.

· Mazourka Canyon – Road is closed.