Mono County Roads

[toedtoes]

CalTrans sent out the following message:

U.S. Highway 395 has been closed from Gorge Road just north of Bishop to the town of Bridgeport due to whiteout conditions and heavy snowfall. There is no estimated time of reopening. Keep an eye on https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ for updates on road conditions and more.


An hour later, Mono County Sheriff's Office sent out this:

The roads are closed. All of them. There is no alternate route, back way, or secret route. It's a blizzard people. You cannot see your hand in front of your face, let alone a snow stake to guide your way. Stay home. Or wherever you are if you aren't home (and if you're somewhere you shouldn't be, you'll have to sort that out with your significant other - we told you to make good choices).


I guess they are tired of rescuing stupid people...

[toedtoes]

Sure in the "average" storm taking a lower elevation route could get you past a closure. But this blizzard was dropping snow as low as 1000 feet. It wasn't normal.

[profdant139]

toed, you are right that there is no alternative route during this current wave of blizzards. But in an "ordinary" snowstorm, there are times that you can safely do an end-run around the closures, if you head east from Bishop and then north through Nevada.

It all depends on the snow level and the wind. If the snow level is (let's say) 5000 feet, 395 may be closed but the Nevada roads might not be.

Having said all of that, my first instinct in bad weather is to stay home, if at all possible. I have towed my trailer in slush and snow, and it is not fun.

[toedtoes]

Apparently google maps was suggesting people take an alternative route at Benton to avoid 395.

And people didn't realize that if the main interstate is impassable due to weather, all the other routes will be impassable...

[2oldman]

toedtoes wrote:
I guess they are tired of rescuing stupid people...

It's hard to imagine people thinking their trip through a raging blizzard is important enough to disregard warnings.

I watched youtube vids of I-80 at Truckee. Terrifying.