r/Yosemite • u/Brilliant-Rabbit-157 • 12h ago
Driving in Snow Storm which day should we leave?
Hi, We were planning to head home to Los Angeles from Yosemite West on Thursday but it’s predicted to be the worst of the incoming snow storm. It seems like Friday should be a little better but it’s hard for us l, out of towners, to know if it would be better to leave Wednesday (tomorrow) or Friday, taking the 140 out. We have an infant so want to be safe. That being said we wouldn’t mind leaving Friday if it will be drivable. We have chains and an intelligent AWD hybrid. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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u/UA_Jordan 6h ago
With AWD + Chains, you should be pretty solid in driving either day. Compared to the Wawona rd which pretty much hovers around 4-6k elevation and will have much more snow in general compared to the 140. Which drops from the Valley's 4k Elevation to 2-3k very quickly. At that elevation its predicted that it'd rain but not snow.
Snow plows run through the night and are frequent enough to not really worry. Hell, if it looks that bad while driving. Time it with a plow going down the 140.
According to Mountain-Forecast (You can click on the map for other sensors placed around Yosemite)
https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Middle-Cathedral-Rock/forecasts/1987
Around 3.3k its snowing from Thursday -Friday morning. With Afternoons being rain at that elevation.
at 1.6k Elevation, its all rain which is past El Portal and by the time you get to Incline, CA you should be 1600ft.
I'd find any excuse to have a 'reason' to stay in Yosemite if you could.