California mountain highway is finally cleared of snow after FOUR MONTHS of snowplowing
Global cooling!
A California highway was finally cleared of snow, opening to the public in its latest date on record. Cars were once more able to drive on Highway 89, which runs through Lassen Volcanic National Park, for the first time since last fall.
The 30-mile road, also known as Lassen National Park Highway, had crews clearing the snow for nearly four months ahead of Thursday's opening.
According to park logs, the latest opening in the last 40 years was in 1995 when the highway opened on July 21.
'This year's opening of the highway will be the latest in park records dating back to 1931,' Lassen Superintendent Jim Richardson said.
However, although the highway is open, the snow hasn't completely disappeared. Many park trails will continue to be covered in snow through mid-August.
'There's 10 feet of snow still on the perimeter of the parking area,' Lassen spokeswoman Karen Haner said.
Road-clearing work began on April 4 with help from the California Department of Transportation, reported the Redding Record Searchlight.
Haner said earlier this month that snowfall in the park was about average for the winter season but more than during the drought the previous four years.
A total of 28 feet of snow was reported over the winter at the summit of the park highway.
Plowing the snow was completed just in time for Sunday's Reach the Peak, a 'hikathon' that raises funds for the Lassen Park Foundation. Hikers will start up Lassen Peak at 8am, leaving in groups every 30 minutes.
On Friday, the park's North Summit Lake, Butte Lake and Juniper Lake campgrounds opened although some Juniper Lake spots may be too muddy for campers, park officials said.
However, Lassen Highway is not the only traditionally late-opening park road.
Tioga Road, which enters Yosemite National Park in Lee Vining, California, opened on June 29, also its latest opening since 1995, according to the National Park Service.
Despite a peak of higher than 10,400 feet, the park is most famous numerous acidic hot springs.
Between 1914 and 1917, Lassen Peak experienced a series of volcanic eruptions. One in May 1915 rained ash as far as 200 miles away, the last to occur until Washington's Mount St Helens erupted in 1980.
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From NPS website:
Road clearing operations began April 4, 2017. Sections of the park highway will open when it is safe and there is sufficient parking for vehicle traffic. The road is expected to open to vehicle traffic late July.
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Spring Road Opening Dates - 1980 to Present
Year
| Date plowing began from southwest
| Date road opened
| Date road closed
| | 1980 | April 20 | May 29 | November 21 | | 1981 | April 20 | May 21 | November 3 | | 1982 | April 19 | June 18 | October 25 | | 1983 | April 18 | July 2 | November 10 | | 1984 | April 23 | June 4 | October 28 | | 1985 | April 14 | May 18 | October 21 | | 1986 | April 7 | June 7 | November 24 | | 1987 | April 20 | May 15 | November 13 | | 1988 | April 2 | May 20 | November 7 | | 1989 | April 3 | June 6 | October 23 | | 1990 | April 1 | April 28 | November 14 | | 1991 | April 7 | May 24 | October 22 | | 1992 | April 6 | May 14 | October 29 | | 1993 | April 12 | June 28 | November 10 | | 1994 | April 3 | May 20 | November 7 | | 1995 | March 19 | July 21 | November 21 | | 1996 | April 1 | June 12 | October 18 | | 1997 | April 7 | June 5 | November 14 | | 1998 | April 5 | July 12 | November 10 | | 1999 | April 12 | June 11 | November 19 | | 2000 | April 3 | June 2 | November 17 | | 2001 | April 2 | May 10 | November 15 | | 2002 | April 1 | May 22 | November 13 | | 2003 | March 26 | May 23 | November 7 | | 2004 | March 11 | May 27 | October 28 | | 2005 | April 4 | June 2 | November 8 | | 2006 | April 3 | July 6 | November 11 | | 2007 | April 2 | May 18 | December 6 | | 2008 | March 31 | May 18 | December 12 | | 2009 | April 13 | June 4 | November 18 | | 2010 | April 19 | July 8 | October 23 | | 2011 | April 19 | July 16 | November 22 | | 2012 | April 21 | June 1 | November 19 | | 2013 | March 21 | May 24 | December 18 | | 2014 | April 3 | May 19 | December 1 | | 2015 | March 31 | May 3 | November 8 | | 2016 | April 18 | June 12 | October 30 | | 2017 | April 4 | July 26 | |
|
nps.gov
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