Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

It’s Tioga Pass flip-flop season … now it’s closed

Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Tioga Pass (Highway 120) has closed due to inclement weather. There is currently no estimated opening date.

Another storm is also moving through the area on Sunday and a winter weather advisory has been issued for Mono County from 11am to 11pm Sunday. Light rain and snow are expected Sunday morning, followed by more intense rain and snow in the afternoon and evening. Chain controls are possible above 7,000 feet in the Eastern Sierra, including on Highway 395 and SR 203 (in Mammoth Lakes).  Use caution when driving and be sure to allow for plenty of extra time and check current road conditions and weather before your trip.

In this photo from May 2016, it’s easy to see why the Tioga Road closes each winter. In 2015, Tioga Road closed on November 1. Photo by Andrew Youssef.